Unwritten
by Dawnfrost96
Summary: Meeting her was fate, becoming her friend was a choice, but falling in love with her was completely beyond my control. It should have never happened. I should have stayed away. Because now, I'm in love with the cat I am supposed to kill...
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

_Love hurts. I say this because I know. Love is amazing. It's an incredible feeling. Love is like a friendship caught on fire: In the beginning a flame, very pretty, often hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. As love grows older, our hearts mature and our love becomes as coals, deep-burning and unquenchable. That's how it was for me; for us. Passion... it was the atmosphere, the noise, it was the time, the taste, the smell, and the sense of being. I think it was being alive at a point where it was so joyful it could almost be painful._

_But it was not something I wanted to happen. I didn't ask for it. But that's the way it is with life, as some of the most beautiful days come completely by chance. But even the most beautiful days eventually have their sunsets. Meeting her was fate, becoming her friend was a choice, but falling in love with her was completely beyond my control. It should have never happened. I should have stayed away. Because now, I'm in love with the cat I am supposed to kill._

_This is the story of how it all began..._

* * *

><p>The forest was dark; the black, roiling mass of clouds far above the treetops having devoured the skies long ago. Rain fell steadily down on the forest below, soaking deep into the ground and turning the hard-packed earth into dark sludge. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves of the trees and the blades of grass that grew between the massive trunks of the forest, bringing with it the warm, comforting smell of milk to the tom's nose.<p>

He sat silently in the clearing, his cold blue eyes staring straight ahead. He didn't seem to notice the rain, or he didn't mind, letting it seep through his pelt, slicking his fur black against his body. His tail thumped up and down on the sludgy mush that was the forest floor; the only movement the tom seemed to make. Bright eyes peered at him from the underbrush around him- cats; his Clanmates, watching anxiously as their leader sat in the center of the camp, waiting as the rain soaked him to the bone. He was excited as well, but not enough to make him smile. Not quite. His stony eyes did not waver from the tangle of brambles ahead; the nursery.

An agonized cry suddenly rang out from deep within the den, and the tom's tail stopped in its rhythmic tapping against the forest floor. Immediately following the cry, the soft mewling of kits could be heard. The tom stood. The glittering eyes of the Clan cats flashed through the heavy darkness, trained on the entrance to the nursery as a cat appeared, slinking out of the den and into the freezing rain.

"Coldstar," the cat meowed to the tom standing in the center of camp. "The kits have arrived."

Without a word, the tom strode forward, pushing past the cat standing in the entrance to the nursery without so much as a glance his way, or a thank you for delivering the kits safely. Inside, it was much warmer and drier, and the smell of milk was stronger here. Fernshade lay in the back of the den, two tiny kits nestled into her belly. She didn't look at them; instead, her eyes were locked on Coldstar.

"You've done well," the tom meowed, giving the smallest of nods. Compliments didn't come easily from him, but the she-cat barely seemed to notice or care. Her amber eyes were cold, and, though it went unnoticed by Coldstar, accusing.

"Hurry up and name them," Fernshade said, the slightest edge of venom to her voice. "Then leave."

On the other side of the den, one of the other queens lifted her head to stare at Fernshade with wide, surprised eyes. No one ever used that tone with Coldstar. No one wanted to risk it.

But the FogClan leader did nothing to scold her. His gaze was fixed on the two kits snuggled into Fernshade's fur. One was a dark brown tabby, the other a cloudy gray color. Both were good-sized kits, as Coldstar had expected them to be. They were his after all, and born for a specific reason. Even at just a few moments old, they were apart of something he had been planning for moons. They had to be strong for what lie ahead. And he, Coldstar, would make sure they were.

"The tabby is Tigerkit," he meowed. "And the gray one is Stormkit." Strong names for strong kits. The gears were turning in Coldstar's mind. The prospect of putting his plan into effect was almost enough to make him smile. Yes. They would be strong kits. He'd train them himself if he had to.

"Wonderful," Fernshade mewed tartly, eyes narrowed. "Now if you don't mind, I'd like to get some rest. I've had a bit of a long night." She was aware of her leader's plan. She had to admit, it was a good one, but she'd been forced to play her part. These kits were nothing to her. They'd be gone soon anyway, even if she _did _want them. Oh well. Her opinion didn't matter, apparently. On the other side of the den, the queen blinked at Fernshade, wondering what on earth she was thinking by disrespecting their leader like that. But again, Coldstar seemed unfazed by her tone.

"I will come and visit in the morning," he said, then turned and slipped out of the den without another word. The scent of milk and the feeling of Fernshade's burning eyes on him faded into the night.

The rain was falling harder now, slowly taking on the substance of sleet. The slushy rain drummed against Coldstar's back as he walked across the clearing, heading for the small cave between two rocks that was his den. The eyes of his Clanmates continued to stare at him from their dens', watching his slow progress across the camp. They knew of Coldstar's plan for his kits, and they were just as eager as he was.

_This is going to work, _the tom thought as he padded into the warmth and dryness of his den, water dripping onto the stone floor beneath his paws. He shook his pelt, dispelling most of the water from his fur, and then settled down in his nest in the corner, getting himself comfortable. But he was far from tired. No, he was excited. His plan was finally starting to become a reality.

_Three moons,_ he thought as he closed his eyes, slowly beginning to drift into unconsciousness_. Yes, that should be enough…_

It was all beginning to come together now. Outside, thunder boomed loudly. A flash of lightning illuminated the darkened sky, and the wind howled through the forest, the sound eerily similar to a scream.

And as the tom slowly slipped into darkness, a small smile ghosted across his lips.

* * *

><p><strong>A L L E G I A N C E S<strong>

**SeaClan**

**Leader- **Sunstar- Fluffy light ginger tom with white tabby stripes and amber eyes.

**Deputy- **Icestorm- White tom with a black tail and blue eyes. Mate- Amberheart; Kits- Thornkit, Skykit, and Rosekit

**Medicine Cat- **Willowsong- Sleek silver she-cat with green eyes.

**Warriors-**

Lilyfrost- Fluffy light gray tabby she-cat with green eyes. Apprentice- Cloverpaw

Eagleheart- Light brown and white tabby tom with amber eyes. Apprentice- Morningpaw

Reedwhisker- Sleek black tom with white hindpaws and yellow eyes.

Pebblefrost- Fluffy light ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Adderstrike- Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Apprentice- Russetpaw

Birdsong- Sleek blue-gray she-cat with yellow eyes.

Hazelfrost- White and light gray patched tom with blue eyes.

Echostep- Silver tabby she-cat with green eyes.

Ashwhisker- Dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes. Mate- Mistflower

Grayflower- Fluffy light gray she-cat with yellow eyes. Apprentice- Bluepaw

Robinflight- Dark brown she-cat with amber eyes.

**Apprentices-**

Cloverpaw- Light brown tabby she-cat with a white underbelly and paws, and green eyes. Mentor- Lilyfrost

Russetpaw- Dark ginger tom with white tabby stripes and blue eyes. Sister- Morningpaw; Mentor- Adderstrike

Morningpaw- Dark gray, white, and light gray calico she-cat with blue eyes. Brother- Russetpaw; Mentor- Eagleheart

Bluepaw- Blue-gray tom with amber eyes. Mentor- Grayflower

**Queens-**

Mistflower- Fluffy light gray she-cat with blue eyes. Mate- Ashwhisker

Amberheart- Dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes. Mate- Icestorm; Kits- Thornkit, Skykit, and Rosekit

**Kits-**

Thornkit- Dark brown and black mottled tom with green eyes. Parents- Amberheart and Icestorm; Siblings- Skykit and Rosekit

Skykit- White she-kit with cloudy gray paws, muzzle, tail, and blue eyes. Parents- Amberheart and Icestorm; Siblings- Thornkit and Rosekit

Rosekit- Black she-kit with amber eyes. Parents- Amberheart and Icestorm; Siblings- Thornkit and Skykit

Tigerkit- Dark brown tabby tom with white paws, tail-tip, and blue eyes. Brother- Stormkit

Stormkit- Gray tom with faint tabby stripes and amber eyes. Brother- Tigerkit

**Elders-**

Falconclaw- Light ginger tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Breezeflower- Fluffy black she-cat with green eyes.

Speckledleaf- Light brown she-cat with dark spots near the base of her tail and green eyes.

**FogClan**

**Leader- **Coldstar- Light gray tom with darker paws and tail and blue eyes.

**Deputy- **Ravenheart- Black tom with white underbelly and yellow eyes. Mate- Littleflower; Kits- Hawkkit and Fawnkit

**Medicine Cat- **Smokefoot- Dark gray tom with yellow eyes.

**Warriors- **

Tornfeather- Cream-colored tabby tom with blue eyes.

Nightflower- Black she-cat with white paws and green eyes.

Sharpfang- Dark ginger and brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Mate- Wolfsong; Kits- Thornkit, Swiftkit, and Dewkit; Apprentice- Gingerpaw

Ivyfrost- Light brown tabby she-cat with white underbelly and green eyes.

Darkstream- Dark blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes. Apprentice- Oakpaw

Thistletooth- Dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes. Apprentice- Sootpaw

Silverwing- Silver tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.

Redfoot- Ginger tom with darker paws and blue eyes.

Fernshade- Light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

Briarthorn- Light brown tabby tom with white paws, underbelly, and blue eyes.

Raggedwing- Ruddy tom with amber eyes.

**Apprentices-**

Sootpaw- Smokey-gray tom with blue eyes. Mentor- Thistletooth

Gingerpaw- Fluffy ginger she-cat with green eyes. Mentor- Sharpfang

Oakpaw- Cream-colored tom with yellow eyes. Mentor- Darkstream

**Queens-**

Wolfsong- Dark brown she-cat with yellow eyes. Mate- Sharpfang; Kits- Thrushkit, Swiftkit, and Dewkit

Littleflower- Light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Mate- Ravenheart; Kits- Hawkkit and Fawnkit

**Kits-**

Thrushkit- Dark brown tabby tom with white paws and amber eyes. Parents- Sharpfang and Wolfsong; Siblings- Swifkit and Dewkit

Swiftkit- Black and white tom with yellow eyes. Parents- Sharpfang and Wolfsong; Siblings- Thrushkit and Dewkit

Dewkit- Light gray she-kit with blue eyes. Parents- Sharpfang and Wolfsong; Siblings- Swiftkit and Thrushkit

Hawkkit- Light brown tabby tom with blue eyes. Parents- Littleflower and Ravenheart; Sister- Fawnkit

Fawnkit- Golden-brown she-cat with amber eyes. Parents- Littleflower and Ravenheart; Brother- Hawkkit

**Elders-**

Tawnyfoot- Tawny-colored she-cat with green eyes.

Longfur- Fluffy light gray tom with amber eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>AU: Hope you like. This was sort of a little plot bunny that popped up in my head and I couldn't resist typing it up. If you want to figure out exactly what Coldstar's little plan is, REVIEW. **


	2. Written

**Okay, so first I'd like to thank Snowflash, artemis7337, Meadowheart98, Glowingsoul, and Giggles Just Giggles for the reviews. That's the most I've ever gotten out of just a prologue! Thanks. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. **

**Hope you like. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 1<strong>

**~Written~**

"Duck!"

Stormkit immediately obeyed, dropping to the ground just as his brother, Tigerkit, soared over him in a flash of dark tabby fur. He kicked out his hind legs, but he was a split second too late. His back paws jabbed into empty air, and his body flopped once like a fish out of water, carried by the momentum of the kick.

_Missed, _he thought in dismay, hoping his father, watching from the sidelines, wouldn't be too disappointed by the failed attack.

A dark shape suddenly loomed above him, and Stormkit rolled out of the way just in time. Tigerkit's paws came crashing down on the dirt where he previously lay, kicking up a small cloud of dust. The young tabby sneezed, then blinked at the empty space between his paws. Stormkit scrambled to his feet, panting.

"That's enough," Coldstar meowed, padding from the shadows of the forest and out into the sunlit clearing. Stormkit tensed, looking up at his father, hoping that he was impressed by their demonstration. He wanted to make him proud, and after tonight he wouldn't be able to do that for a long time.

Stormkit and Tigerkit were different from the other kits in the Clan. They were nearly three moons old, the tips of their ears barely reaching past their mother's belly fur, and yet they were already undergoing training fit for apprentices. Stormkit had been told countless times throughout his life that he was special, and that he and his brother would do great things when they got older. He'd seen some of the looks the other cats in the Clan gave him whenever he passed by; most cast him awed looks. Some, even a couple warriors, seemed almost jealous.

"D'ya like it?" Tigerkit questioned, tilting his head up to look at Coldstar, blue eyes gleaming with excitement. Fighting had always given him a rush; Stormkit could see that he relished it. He was bigger than Stormkit, too, with already defined muscles and a larger build. Stormkit was smaller, built more for speed than strength. Just another one of the many differences between him and his brother.

"It was sloppy," Coldstar meowed, unimpressed. "All you're doing is throwing your weight around, lacking any precision. And Stormkit, you weren't reacting fast enough to some of the attacks. You got out of the way in time to avoid Tigerkit's blows, but an enemy cat won't be so slow." Tigerkit immediately deflated at Coldstar's words, and Stormkit hung his head. He didn't like disappointing his father. It seemed to happen more often than not.

"But you're getting closer," the tom added. "You both will be ready soon."

Stormkit perked, lifting his head to look up at his father. He was wearing a barely visible smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. It seemed like Stormkit was always trying to get his dad to smile. Without realizing it, he gave a goofy grin. Tigerkit snickered beside him.

"Keep training," their father continued. "I'm going to send Tornfeather over here to teach you a few more moves. I will be back before nightfall, and then we will head to the border for your departure." He began to pad away from the clearing, but in the opposite direction of camp.

Stormkit cocked his head. "Where are you going?" he questioned, curious.

Coldstar halted in his tracks, then turned his head slightly to look at Stormkit. There it was again; that rare smile. But this time, it was a little scary.

"To prepare," he answered over his shoulder, then disappeared into the shadows of the forest, leaving his two sons in the clearing alone.

* * *

><p>After a long day of training with Tornfeather, Stormkit was exhausted.<p>

The sun was slowly sinking below the treetops, the sky turning to a darker shade of indigo, and the few wispy clouds that stretched across the horizon tingeing different shades of pink and gold as daylight slipped away into dusk. A chill breeze drifted through the camp, warning of the coming leaf-bare. They had to be heading out soon, if they were to make it in time.

Stormkit sat outside the leader's den with his brother, his downy-soft pelt prickling with restlessness. Tension was running high in the camp; cats passed by, shooting them anxious looks. Stormkit fidgeted, trying to calm his nerves. Where was Coldstar? He was supposed to be back by now.

Though Stormkit was a nervous wreck, Tigerkit seemed completely content; even excited. He bounced around in front of the den, lashing his claws and ducking out of the way of some invisible foe. Stormkit watched him, wondering how he could _not _be scared out of his fur right now. Wasn't he worried? Wasn't he going to miss their home?

"Hey, lighten up," Tigerkit mewed, catching Stormkit's incredulous look. "You should be excited. We're finally leaving!"

"What if something bad happens?" Stormkit ventured, dragging his front paw around in the dirt. "What if they don't take us? Then all of our training will be for nothing."

Tigerkit shrugged, indifferent. "They'll take us," he meowed.

"How can you be so sure?"

Tigerkit grinned and crouched, rocking on his haunches in front of Stormkit. "'Cause," he mewed, the smile spreading. "We're adorable."

He suddenly lunged, and Stormkit jerked backwards just in time to avoid being swiped on the nose. But Tigerkit kept going, barreling into him and knocking them both to the ground. The two wrestled in the dirt, laughing and playing like normal kits. As if this night was the same as any other night; as if tonight, the future of the Clans didn't depend on them.

But then a familiar scent hit their noses, and Stormkit squirmed out from beneath Tigerkit and scrambled to his paws. On the other side of camp, Coldstar was padding toward them. As the FogClan leader got closer, Stormkit could smell something…_different _about his scent. It was a strange smell, one he'd never smelled before, and it reeked.

Coldstar stopped in front of him, and Stormkit realized that his pelt was all dirty and ruffled up from playing. He quickly tried to smooth down the fur on the top of his head with his paw.

"Don't," Coldstar meowed, and Stormkit's paw immediately stopped. He looked up at his father questioningly, amber eyes wide. "Your appearance will only aid you in what you have to do. In fact, try to look as dirty as you possibly can."

Stormkit was a little confused by this, and Tigerkit's reaction was to grin mischievously. Stormkit rolled his eyes.

Then Coldstar flicked his tail, beckoning them to follow as he turned and began to pad away, towards the forest. "Come," he meowed. "We have a long way to go."

Tigerkit leaped to his feet in seconds, scrambling after their retreating father. Stormkit was slower to follow, his paws weighted down by all that he was leaving behind. He wouldn't be back in this camp for at least three more moons, and he knew he was going to miss it. He was going to miss the way this place smelled; the fresh, earthy scent that clung to everything around him. He'd miss Hawkkit and Fawnkit, two of his closest littermates, and the kindness their mother, Littleflower, always gave to him. He'd miss his own mother, too, even though she never really showed him much love. She'd always been sort of cold towards him and his brother, never like Littleflower or Wolfsong were to their kits. But he would miss the way her amber eyes sparkled when she laughed, or the way she would sometimes brush her tail down his back, smoothing down any stray hairs or just to flick away a leaf that had stuck in his fur. He'd miss the sights, the smells, the sounds, the tastes…

He'd miss everything.

But Stormkit left anyway, padding slowly into the trees, leaving behind everything he'd ever known.

* * *

><p>By the time they reached the border, the warriors of StarClan were already beginning to dot the darkening sky. Crickets sang and frogs croaked around them, and the first hoots of the owls drifted through the forest. Just more things Stormkit would miss.<p>

Up ahead, Coldstar and Tigerkit suddenly stopped. Stormkit halted beside them, ears pricking for whatever it was that caused them to pause in their course. Sniffing the air, Stormkit realized he could detect the same scent that had clung to Coldstar when he'd returned to camp, except that it was much stronger here. His nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Where are we?" Tigerkit piped. Stormkit looked around. Other than the strange scent, the forest was no different in front of them than it was behind them. Why were they stopping now?

"I can go no further," Coldstar meowed, staring straight ahead into the forest. "This is the border we share with SeaClan. I cannot cross it. You two will have to carry on without me."

Stormkit felt anxiety flutter in his stomach, and his heartbeat quickened. This was it. They were leaving. This was the first stage in the complex scheme Coldstar had come up with moons before. And it was the most nerve-wracking. At least, it was for him anyway.

"Won't we smell funny to them?" Tigerkit questioned. He looked the opposite of how Stormkit felt right now- excited; anxious to get across the border and into unfamiliar territory. Unafraid. Stormkit wished he was so fearless. Right now, he was feeling pretty terrified.

"Yes," Coldstar answered. "But there's a solution to that. You see that over there? Growing on that tree?" He flicked his tail, and Stormkit squinted at a tall oak tree in the distance, farther into SeaClan territory. Green tendrils snaked all the way up the trunk of the tree; big, heart-shaped leaves sprouted from them. He'd seen some of that in FogClan territory, growing on the trees around camp. It didn't look any different here than it did there.

"Uh-huh," Tigerkit meowed, nodding.

"What is it?" Stormkit inquired, looking up at Coldstar.

"Moon vine," the larger tom answered. "It has a very strong smell. Rub up against it until your FogClan scent is gone. There is a stream nearby as well. Wash yourselves in that, and the smell should be gone."

Tigerkit nodded vigorously. "Got it."

Coldstar finally looked down at his two kits, his blue eyes flashing in the near-darkness. Stormkit realized with a jolt that he was almost as excited as Tigerkit was, his eyes glittering with anticipation and a barely perceptible smile tugging at the corners of his lips. This only made him even more anxious. What if he did something wrong? What if they were found out? His father would never look at him again.

"My sons…" Coldstar meowed, and both kits' ears pricked. They'd never been called 'sons' by their father before. Stormkit listened intently as he continued. "…I have been waiting for this day for a very long time. Before you were even born. You see, a long time ago, someone told me that I would have two kits, and they would be the ones to do what hundreds of generations of great FogClan cats have never been able to do before. You two are very special, you see. And I _know, _as that same cat told me so many moons ago, that you will succeed."

Stormkit looked up at his father, amber eyes wide. Coldstar had never spoken to them in this way before. It was almost as he were saying…he were _proud _of them. Even Tigerkit looked astonished, standing completely still beside him.

The tom continued, and his eyes became harder; stern. "But I want you to remember something. No matter what happens, no matter where you are, what you're doing, or who you're with, _you will always be a FogClan cat. _And you will always be my sons. Remember that."

Stormkit nodded, every muscle in his body taught with the tension of this moment. He would never forget. Ever.

Coldstar straightened, and his eyes once again became icy pools of blue. Emotionless. Indifferent. He looked down at his two kits, standing rigid and wide-eyed before him, and jerked his head in the direction of the border.

"Go."

With one final glance at their father, they ran.

* * *

><p><em>You see, I didn't have a choice.<em>

_I was chosen before I was even conceived. My brother and I; we were doomed from the start. Before we even existed. What we wanted didn't matter. We were to train. To become strong. To grow into the heroes of FogClan. As was our destiny. As it was written._

_But, as I know now, things don't always go as planned._

* * *

><p><strong>Figured it out yet? Coldstar's plan? Who the mystery prologue cat is? Review and tell me what you think.<strong>


	3. Switch

**Thanks everybody for the reviews! This story is coming along a lot better than my other two, which is great! Keep it up, guys. See if you can figure out anymore pieces to Coldstar's little plan, or who the mystery prologue cat is. Most of you got at least some of it right, but I'm not giving away the answer just yet!**

**And yes, S. Elise, I'd be happy to read your stories. The titles sound promising. :) **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 2<strong>

**~Switch~**

_Let me tell you a little bit about the Clans._

_We are enemies. We were from the start. Hatred runs deep between the two Clans of the valley, so deep that the reason for such hatred has been lost to time. We despise the other Clan on principle, as it has been for many moons. Holding on to it is like poison; it eats from the inside. We think that it is a weapon that attacks the one who harmed us, as I was taught from the beginning. But hatred is a curved claw. And the harm we do, we do to ourselves._

_I should know. I am here because of that curved claw. I was born in the name of it._

* * *

><p>"Hey…wake up…"<p>

The voice came floating out of the darkness to Stormkit's ears. It was soft; uncertain. Female. It reminded him of his mother's voice, and for a moment Stormkit thought that he must be dreaming.

But dreams weren't supposed to be this cold. Stormkit was curled up in tight a ball, a frosty blade of grass tickling the tip of his nose. The air around him was frigid with the chill of leaf-bare, and Stormkit curled in on himself even further, trying to retain some bit of warmth. But the movement caused the layer of frost that had frozen over his pelt to crackle and crunch, and he remembered that his fur had still been wet from running through the stream when he'd fallen asleep beside Tigerkit the night before. Where was his brother now? He couldn't feel him. He just wanted to sleep…

But the voice came again, except this time the speaker was someone different.

"They must be dead. Look how their fur is frozen. It was just too cold last night."

"Poor dears…"

_Dead? _Stormkit didn't think he was dead. Wouldn't he be in StarClan if he were?

Something moved beside Stormkit, and he heard his brother groan. He'd been lying against him all this time? But he was so cold…

Someone gasped from nearby.

"Look! That one's still alive!"

"What about the other one?"

Something nudged Stormkit's back, and he let out a little grumble of annoyance. The paw drew back immediately.

"He's alive, too!"

Stormkit's eyes slowly fluttered open, focusing on a frost-encrusted leaf directly in front of his face. He was just now beginning to register the scents of other cats around him, reeking of the same scent that they had smelled on the border as they crossed into SeaClan; like dead fish and salt. Stormkit sluggishly lifted his head; the side of his face that had been resting on the grass was damp. He blinked upwards, his eyes focusing on a face looming above him.

Emerald green eyes stared down at him, framed by silvery-gray fur and faint tabby stripes. It was a beautiful face, marred only by a single scar in the form a pink slash down the she-cat's cheek. Stormkit blearily looked up into those soft green eyes, his vision blurry, and they seemed to light up as the she-cat smiled beautifully.

"Hello, dear," she meowed gently, and Stormkit recognized her as the first one to have spoken. "Oh, you must be freezing. Come here, little one."

The she-cat lay down beside Stormkit and the still sleeping Tigerkit, curling her tail around them. Even though this she-cat was a stranger to him, and she reeked of fish, Stormkit couldn't resist burying his head in the warmth of her belly fur. He was so cold, and she was so warm…

"Lilyfrost," someone meowed from behind the she-cat. "These kits can't stay here. We need to get them back to camp."

"They won't make it all the way back if they don't get some warmth first," the gray she-cat, Lilyfrost, pointed out. "StarClan, they're so cold…"

On the other side of Stormkit, Tigerkit began to stir. He let out a contented sigh, relishing in the warmth of Lilyfrost's body heat, and slowly began to lift his tabby head. Stormkit shifted his eyes over to him, watching as his brother's expression went from complacent to confused as he looked up at Lilyfrost.

"Hello, there," Lilyfrost murmured. "It's okay. You're going to be all right."

Tigerkit blinked once, and then a strange look crossed his face- something between sorrow and fear.

"We're lost…" he mewled pitifully, his voice cracking. "Our parents…they got killed by foxes a few days ago…"

_Of course. _Stormkit mentally slapped himself. Tigerkit was faking, pretending to be the lost little kit with no place to go and no way to keep warm for the coming leaf-bare. And Stormkit was supposed to be playing along. How could he have forgotten?

He hurriedly gave a tiny cough, and his breath puffed out in front of him in a foggy plume. "Please, miss…" he whined. "Do you have any food? I haven't eaten in so long…" Stormkit hoped he was doing all right. He and his brother had rehearsed this a million times. He added another weak cough for good measure.

One of the two toms standing behind Lilyfrost, the light brown tabby, stepped forward and lowered his head so that he was nearly eye-level with Stormkit. He resisted the urge to recoil as his fishy breath blasted him in the face.

"What are your names?" he inquired, looking between the two kits. He almost answered with 'Stormkit', when Tigerkit beat him to it, thankfully.

"I'm Tiger," he meowed. "And this is my brother, Storm. We're all we have now…"

"Well, Tiger and Storm," the tom rumbled. "We're going to take you back to our home. There's food there, and you'll have a warm place to sleep."

Tigerkit's eyes lit up- with either happiness or triumph, he couldn't tell. "Okay!" he piped.

Suddenly, teeth were closing around Stormkit's scruff, and he was lifted gently into the air by Lilyfrost. He felt suddenly much colder without being curled up against her belly, but the she-cat's warm breath against his back somewhat made up for it, even though it stinked. The tabby tom bent and picked up Tigerkit, and the five cats turned and took off deeper into the forest.

They'd done it. They had tricked the SeaClan cats into bringing them to their camp. Stormkit swelled with the victory, and he turned his head to grin at his brother, dangling from the tabby's mouth as they bounded through the icy forest.

Tigerkit smiled back, and winked.

His father would be proud.

* * *

><p>Stormkit blinked as the trees suddenly disappeared around them, and the SeaClan cats were all running across a grassy field. It smelled strange here; not like SeaClan, but not like FogClan either. And the scent was stale, as if whatever made the scent had not been her in a while. Frost crunched beneath their paws, and the wind barely stirred the frozen blades of grass around them. The sky was slightly overcast, with just a few watery rays of sunlight cutting through the dark clouds to shine on the frigid forest below. A stream bubbled nearby, the waters black with cold. The warriors were silent as they ran.<p>

Stormkit's smugness over successfully tricking the SeaClan cats had faded long ago. Now, he stared around in wonder, taking in the new sights and smells of the strange new territory. FogClan was basically all forest, except at the eastern border, where the trees and grass faded into rocks and a gentle uphill slope to the mountains. SeaClan had plenty of open air, with patches of trees every now and then. The SeaClan scents were older here, and less frequent; the ocean cats probably preferred to fish in the endless waters of the sea.

The field disappeared behind them, and once again they were bounding between the trees. But it was different here; the trees were smaller, skinnier and spaced farther apart. There was little underbrush, and as they went farther into the meager forest, the smell of salt drifted to Stormkit's nose.

The forest thinned out around them, and a grassy hill rose up ahead. The SeaClan cats easily propelled themselves up the incline, and Stormkit noticed that their hind legs were significantly more muscled than any that of the FogClan cats. He wondered why that was; he didn't imagine that the ocean cats did much jumping.

The SeaClan warriors slowed to a stop as they came to the top of the hill, the biting wind whipping their fur back. Stormkit nearly gasped at the view as they stood at the hill's crest, staring down into the grassy field below. The hill sloped back downwards, dotted with a few patches of spindly trees and shrubs here and there. Not far off in the distance, the ground dipped into a bowl-like shape, the area around it surrounded by shrubs and a few rocks that jutted from the ground. Stormkit could see the tiny figures of cats padding back and forth in the hollow, or resting near the sides, out of the way of the wind. The SeaClan camp. About fifty fox-lengths away from it, the ground suddenly fell away into a steep cliff. Beyond that, the ocean glittered darkly in the pale light of the cloudy morning.

A strong gust a wind suddenly buffeted the cats standing at the top of the hill, and Stormkit squeezed his eyes shut and tucked his head into his chest, letting out a small whimper. His fur was still not quite dry from his swim the day before, adding an even sharper bite to the chilly wind. He began to shiver uncontrollably.

"Almost there," Lilyfrost murmured around Stormkit's scruff, and the SeaClan cats streamed down the hill towards their home.

_Hurry…_Stormkit thought, keeping his eyes tightly closed as he focused not on how cold he was, or how he was loosing the feeling in the tips of his paws, or how consciousness was slowly slipping away …but on the warmth of Lilyfrost's breath, and the prospect of being in a warm den soon, away from the glacial wind. His heartbeat quickened in his chest, and he suddenly shuddered violently with the cold. At least they were almost inside the camp, and then he could finally sleep...

Soon, the fishy scent of the SeaClan cats drifted to Stormkit's nose, carried on the strong breeze. He slowly opened his eyes into slits, his vision slightly blurred, and saw that the outer bushes surrounding the SeaClan camp were just a few fox-lengths away. The warriors didn't hesitate as they bounded through the space between two rocks, and before Stormkit knew it they were standing right inside the home of the enemy.

A few of them were already waiting in the center of camp, having seen their arrival when they came running down the hill. Of course, all three of them were shocked to see the two shivering kits dangling from their Clanmates' jaws as they entered the camp.

"Oh my!" one she-cat exclaimed, rushing forward to meet the patrol. She was fluffy, with light ginger tabby fur and icy blue eyes. Her eyes were darting between Stormkit and Tigerkit, wide with shock. "Kits!"

"Where did you find them?" another cat, a white and gray tom, asked from behind her. The third, a silver tabby she-cat, looked horrified.

"They're nearly frozen stiff!" she meowed with a gasp.

All this shouting attracted the attention of all the other cats in the Clan, and soon Stormkit was surrounded on all sides by cats, all gasping and shouting and asking endless questions that just sounded like mindless babble to Stormkit's ears. He found that it was getting harder to hear them, and the corners of his vision were slowly beginning to darken. He was so tired…

"Someone get Willowsong!" someone screamed, their voice panicked and muffled.

And that was the last thing Stormkit heard before he slipped into darkness…

* * *

><p><strong>I had to google hypothermia in cats for this chapter. I hope you're happy. ;)<strong>

**Will Stormkit die? Why have we not met the mysterious she-cat the prologue cat was talking about? Find out in Chapter THREE, coming out tomorrow!**


	4. Chill

**Again, thanks so much for the reviews. I feel loved. :)**

**Okay, so this might be my last update before I have to go out of town for a while. D: But don't worry. I'll be back on Thursday to continue with the story or I might update again tomorrow if I can finish Chapter 4. I'm determined to finish story!**

**Hope you like. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 3<strong>

**~Chill~**

_You sometimes encounter others, even strangers, who begin to interest you at first sight; somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has even been spoken. That's how it was for me. No, it wasn't love at first sight; I was too young for that. But there was something about her that interested me. She was a strange little thing, different from the others; extraordinary. Interest at first sight, you could say._

_Love came later._

* * *

><p>Stormkit woke to the smell of herbs. The ground beneath him was soft and warm, and his fur was no longer wet or frozen stiff with frost. Somewhere nearby, he could hear the steady <em>drip, drip <em>of water on stone. It was so nice in here; so cozy…He could sleep forever.

But then something suddenly tightened in his chest, and he let out a string of wet, painful coughs. By the time it had ended, his head was throbbing and his chest was aching. He let out a small groan, eyes watering.

"It's about time you woke up."

Stormkit's eyes blinked open to see Tigerkit sitting just a tail-length away, his tail whipping back and forth along the stony floor. His blue eyes were cold, and for a moment they reminded Stormkit of their father. He slowly pushed himself to his paws, only to be hit with a dizzying sense of vertigo. How long had he been lying down? What was this place?

As if he had been reading his mind, Tigerkit meowed, "You're in the SeaClan medicine cat den. You've been sleeping for almost a whole day, now. The medicine cat says you've got 'chill' or something like that." The tabby kit's eyes narrowed, and he added with the slightest edge of venom to his voice, "Nice job, brother. One day and you've already gotten yourself sick and stuck in the medicine den for StarClan knows how long. _And _you almost blew our cover!"

"That's not true!" Stormkit argued weakly, pulling himself into a sitting position on the moss bed he had been laying on. "It's not my fault it was freezing cold outside! And I did _not _almost blow our cover." His ears flattened against his head. He knew that he'd almost gotten them discovered when the SeaClan cats had asked them their names, and if Tigerkit hadn't woken up when he did, Stormkit probably would have said something wrong even before that. And Tigerkit knew it.

His brother rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he grumbled. "Anyway, you missed a lot while you were asleep. I told Sunstar that our parents were killed by foxes about two days ago and we'd wandered into SeaClan territory on our own. The mouse-brain bought it along with the rest of the fish cats."

Stormkit allowed his annoyance at Tigerkit shift into relief at the good news. "That's great!" he mewed, but then broke out in another fit of coughs. Tigerkit shifted back farther away, his nose wrinkling.

"Ah, you're awake!" A shadow suddenly fell over the two kits, and Stormkit looked up to see a sleek silver she-cat padding into the den, long green stems hanging from her jaws. "Thank StarClan. You had everyone worried for a while. Here, eat these. It's lavender. It'll help you get better."

She dropped the stems in front of Stormkit. They were a little shriveled and dull, and he looked up at the she-cat questioningly. She smiled apologetically.

"Sorry. We're running low on lavender this season, and we're saving the healthier stems in case anybody gets whitecough or greencough. You just have a mild case of chill; it'll clear up in a day or two. You'll just have to stay in here until then. I'm Willowsong, by the way." She flashed a warm smile, green eyes shining.

Stormkit nodded, even though he didn't know what a chill was, and bent his head to cautiously chew on the stems. The herb was sweet-smelling, but it tasted surprisingly minty and a little peppery, not at all like its scent. Willowsong turned to sort the remaining stems into the right pile.

"Thanks for saving him!" Tigerkit piped happily. "You're really nice, miss!" He cast Stormkit a mischievous grin, and he smiled back.

"Yeah. Thanks so much, miss." Stormkit smiled angelically. This was kind of fun.

"Oh, you don't have to thank me," Willowsong purred, not suspecting a thing. "You both are so sweet."

Stormkit and Tigerkit looked at each other, suppressing giggles. But then Stormkit started coughing again. He let out another groan. His throat hurt.

"Oh, you poor thing," the medicine cat mewed sympathetically, shaking her head as she ran her tail down Stormkit's back. "Don't worry, though. Chills go away pretty fast."

"What exactly-" He coughed "-is a chill?"

"A chill is like whitecough," Willowsong answered. "But it's easier to treat and can't escalate into greencough. They're basically the same except that instead of fever, you have cold chills. You probably got it from being out in that freezing weather for so long with wet fur."

Stormkit nodded, chewing up the last of the lavender, and lay back down in his bed of moss to try and catch some more sleep; he was still exhausted. Unfortunately, a massive light ginger tom chose that exact moment to walk into the den, two cats coming in behind him. Stormkit immediately lifted his head, eyes widening at the sight of the golden tom. He knew who it was the moment he saw him.

Sunstar. His father's greatest enemy.

"Hello," Sunstar rumbled in a deep, rich voice. "I am pleased to see that you are awake and well. For a while we weren't sure if you would survive." His voice was surprisingly warm, and he smiled down at him.

All Stormkit could do was stare. He was _huge, _towering over every other cat in the den. His father had actually _fought _this cat before? Stormkit couldn't imagine how Coldstar had gotten away without being crushed. Even Tigerkit looked a little intimidated by him; something that Stormkit didn't see very often in his brother.

"Umm…hi," he mewed quietly, staring up at Sunstar. "Th-thanks for letting us s-stay here…"

"It is not in my nature to leave orphaned kits to fend for themselves," Sunstar meowed. "Your brother tells me that he has no other place to go, and wishes to remain in SeaClan to live the life of a warrior. Is this also what you want?"

Stormkit nodded. "Yes," he mewed. It was kind of strange, being offered the life of a Clan cat when he already was one. Same as being told that he was an 'orphan'. Sunstar looked pleased with his answer. He turned to look at the two cats standing behind them, flicking his tail for them to come forward.

"This is Mistflower," Sunstar meowed, gesturing to the fluffy light gray she-cat as she came to stand beside Sunstar, "and this is Ashwhisker." He flicked his tail to the dark gray tabby, who nodded to them. "Their kit was killed by a fox yesterday morning, and they wish to take both of you in as their own. Are you both okay with this arrangement?"

_Yesterday morning…_Stormkit's pelt prickled, but he nodded anyway.

"Yes, sir!" Tigerkit chirped, grinning from ear-to-ear.

The she-cat, Mistflower, stepped forward and bent her head closer to Stormkit and Tigerkit. She looked weary; her blue eyes dull with lack of sleep. Her mate looked similar, as he sat hunched beside Sunstar.

"We're sorry about your parents," she meowed, her voice soft. "I will take good care of you until you become apprentices. I promise."

Ashwhisker said nothing. He stared at the ground between his paws, his eyes unfocused. For a moment Stormkit felt sorry for them, but then he remembered that these were _SeaClan _cats. They'd been trying to destroy his Clan for hundreds and hundreds of moons. Many of the scars that marred his father's body were given to him by these cats. He couldn't forget that.

"We're sorry about your kit," Stormkit mewed, but on the inside he felt nothing.

"We'll have the proper ceremony to welcome these kits into our Clan as soon as Storm regains his health," Sunstar announced, turning to leave the den. Ashwhisker stood and followed him, and Mistflower turned away from Stormkit and exited without another word. It seemed that there was a lot more space in the den after they'd left, and Stormkit could finally breathe again. Of course, as soon as he did, he started coughing.

Tigerkit grinned. "You sound terrible."

"Thanks," Stormkit choked between coughs.

"You should get some sleep," Willowsong meowed. "That's the only way you'll feel better. And Tiger, you should go and get settled in to the Nursery. That's going to be your home for a little while longer, so you should go meet the other queens and kits there."

"Sure thing," Tigerkit mewed. He winked at Stormkit, then turned and bounced out of the medicine den.

"That's a lively brother you have there," Willowsong commented as she went to sorting through her herbs. "He looks to be quite the troublemaker, am I right?"

Stormkit grinned. "You have no idea."

* * *

><p>"…Wake up…"<p>

Stormkit groaned as a paw prodded him in the side. He was curled up in his bed of moss, his nose tucked into his belly. He could hear the steady _drip, drip_ of the spring as water droplets fell rhythmically onto the stone floor of the den, along with the faint chirp of the crickets outside. He was completely comfortable as he was. He just wanted to go back to sleep…

But apparently, someone else wanted him awake.

"Come on!" a voice whispered. "I haven't got all night. Wake _up_!"

A paw suddenly jabbed into Stormkit's side, and he let out a little squeak as he bolted upright, eyes wide. He looked around for whoever it was that poked him, but his eyes hadn't yet adjusted to the darkness of the den.

"Shhh!" the voice hissed, and Stormkit could barely make out the dark silhouette of another kit standing in front of him. "You'll wake up Willowsong."

The figure flicked their tail toward the prone medicine cat, curled up in her own nest in the back of the den. The sleeping cat mumbled something incoherent in her sleep, but her eyes stayed tightly shut; undisturbed.

"Who are you?" Stormkit whispered, blinking at the strange kit. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could begin to make out individual features. It was a she-kit. Her fur was light, but he couldn't tell what color, but her eyes glittered bright blue in the dim. She grinned, and her teeth flashed in the faint moonlight spilling in through the entrance of the den.

"I'm Skykit," she answered. "Nice to meet you."

"What are you doing here?" Stormkit asked in a whisper, glancing back at Willowsong, who still slept soundly in her corner. "You could get in big trouble."

Skykit flicked her tail dismissively, giving a small shrug. "I met your brother, Tiger," she meowed with a grin. "I came to see if you were as obnoxious as he is."

Stormkit almost laughed at that, but he managed to control himself, settling with a small smile. "Obnoxious, huh?"

Skykit nodded. "Oh yeah. Took a _loooot _of self-control to keep from clawing his ears off. I feel sorry for you; does he always talk so much? I swear, he fell asleep chattering."

Stormkit smiled. No, Tigerkit didn't always talk so much. He wondered how long his brother could keep up his nice-guy act before he crumbled and went back to his normal mischievous, teasing self. Probably not long. He wondered how _obnoxious _he would seem to Skykit once that happened.

"So," Skykit meowed, leaning closer to Stormkit. "You're a rogue, huh? That's pretty cool. Did you ever fight anything? Fox? Badger? Other rogues? Me and my brother and sister are dying to know."

Stormkit shook his head and answered truthfully, "No, but I was taught how to fight."

Skykit's eyes immediately lit up. "Really? You were? Do you think you could teach me some battle moves?" She was grinning from ear-to-ear, her blue eyes shining with excitement. Stormkit knew that he should say no; that it was _FogClan _battle moves that he knew. But she looked so excited…She'd never fought before. He could make up something! She wouldn't know the difference.

"Sure," he meowed.

Skykit did a little bounce. "Yes!" she giggled. Stormkit couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. It was almost contagious.

"Skykit! What are you doing here?"

They both froze, their eyes widening as they looked over to the back of the den. Willowsong's head was up and she was glaring at Skykit. She pushed herself to her paws and lumbered towards them, her tail flicking back and forth.

"You shouldn't be here! Get back to the Nursery. It's the middle of the night, for StarClan's sake!"

Skykit grinned at Stormkit. "See ya later," she whispered, then turned and fled out of the den.

* * *

><p><em>And that's how it all began.<em>

* * *

><p><strong>Ahhhh, my longest chappie so far. So now you know who the mystery she-cat is, huh? Review and tell me what you think of her!<strong>


	5. Omen

**I'm back! Hope you missed me. I'm surprised at how popular this story is becoming! It was just a little idea that I didn't really expect to get very far, but it's surprised me! Thanks for all the support guys. :)**

**I couldn't finish Chapter 4 before I left, so here it is now. Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 4<strong>

**~Omen~**

_There's something you should know. _

_I've explained the hatred between SeaClan and FogClan, and how deep in runs through our Clans. So deep, that even StarClan is divided. Shocking? Not to me. I was raised with the knowledge that there were two sides to StarClan. The deceased warriors of SeaClan and FogClan hate the other as much as they did when they still walked the earth. The cats of StarClan have always protected the Clan of their birth against the other, but their power stops at the border. Even in death, they cannot let go of a grudge._

_So, does this shed some light on the reasons for my father's plan? Why was it necessary to send two kits into the enemy Clan to do the dirty work? Because, this plan was not solely my father's idea; it was StarClan's, too. _

_SeaClan's ancestors could not touch us. They could not hear our thoughts, or our whispered conversations with each other. They had no power over what we did, or our destiny._

_But they knew._

* * *

><p>"Are you ready?"<p>

Stormkit nodded as he stood from his nest, taking slow steps toward the SeaClan leader. He was standing in the entrance to the medicine den, Tigerkit at his heels. Stormkit was feeling better today; his cough was nearly gone, his head ached a lot less than it did the day before, and the chill was clearing up pretty nicely. So, Sunstar decided that he was well enough to participate in the ceremony to welcome him into SeaClan. And for some strange reason, Stormkit was nervous.

Of course, Tigerkit wasn't. Was he ever scared? Stormkit didn't think so.

Outside, it was bright. A few fluffy clouds drifted lazily across the sky, and the afternoon sun shone brilliantly down on the SeaClan camp. Stormkit squinted as surveyed the camp; it was much livelier than it had been when they'd first arrived, when the cold had chased most of the Clan cats into their dens to stay warm. Around him, cats bustled around the hollow, talking enthusiastically to each other. They cast excited glances at Stormkit as they passed, and he felt his ears burn with the extra attention. It was strange, walking amongst the enemy. He felt that at any moment, all of them would suddenly turn around and leap at him, screeching and yowling for his death. If they knew what he really was, they probably would.

Sunstar leaped up onto a slick, reddish rock that jutted out from the sides of the hollow. Stormkit and Tigerkit stood at the base of it, facing out towards the rest of the camp. In a deep, booming voice, Sunstar called his Clan together.

"May all cats old enough to fish in the sea join me beneath the Redrock for a Clan meeting!"

It wasn't needed, however. Most of the cats in the Clan had already started to assemble around them. Stormkit looked around for Skykit, but he didn't see her anywhere.

"It's good to see you well again, Storm," someone said from behind him. He looked back to see the third tom on the patrol that had found him and his brother. He was a sleek black tom, with piercing yellow eyes. It was the first thing he'd ever said to him. Stormkit blinked, unsure of what to say.

"Umm, thanks…" he mewed.

"Cats of SeaClan!" Sunstar boomed, and instantly the crowd quieted. "We are gathered here today to welcome two new kits to our Clan. Tiger and Storm were found at the edge of our territory two days ago, and they both wish to join SeaClan. From this moment until they become six moons of age, they will be known as Tigerkit and Stormkit."

The golden tom leaped down from the Redrock and padded over to the two kits sitting below at its base. He bent and touched his nose to Tigerkit's, then turned and lowered his head in front of Stormkit. He stretched his neck attentively, his fur prickling at being so close to those massive jaws, and touched his nose to Sunstar's.

"Welcome to SeaClan," he rumbled.

The hollow suddenly darkened as a cloud skittered across the sun. Although no one else seemed to pay any mind to it, Stormkit's fur prickled with unease as a sudden coolness chilled his veins. The cloud passed in a few seconds, but he could still feel the iciness of the momentary chill. He shook it off quickly. It was probably nothing.

"Tigerkit! Stormkit!" the Clan cheered. Stormkit noticed a few apprehensive faces in the crowd; some glares. Apparently, some cats weren't too excited to have two 'rogue' kits in their Clan. He hoped they would come to be more comfortable with him eventually. He'd be here a while, after all.

The crowd began to dissipate. Cats headed off in different directions, giving Stormkit words of encouragement and telling him that he'd love it there after a while. It was weird, being welcomed as Stormkit after he already _was _Stormkit. He nodded politely to all the cats that spoke to him, but said nothing. Tigerkit's jabbered loudly beside him, his chatter sounding like mindless babble in his ears. He still felt cold…

"Hey."

Stormkit jumped a little at the familiar voice, and the speaker laughed. He turned quickly to see Skykit standing behind him, grinning. Now that they were in the full light of day, Stormkit could see her clearly. Her fur was sleek and white, but her paws, muzzle, and tail had a gray tinge to them. Her eyes were a startling color blue, and Stormkit couldn't help but stare straight into their intensity. They were _really _blue. He hadn't known when he talked to her the night before that she was so pretty…

"Oh! Uh, hey…" he meowed quickly as he realized that she was looking at him expectantly, waiting for him to say something. "Umm…what's up?" Really? '_What's up?_' was all he could come up with? It was so much easier to talk to her when he couldn't _see _her…

"You promised to teach me some battle moves, remember?" Skykit mewed, cocking her head slightly and smiling. "Or did you forget?"

"What? No! I didn't forget. Of course I didn't forget…" He wasn't very good at this. Yes, he did forget. _And _he was making himself look like an idiot. He wouldn't blame her if she cuffed him upside the head and walked away right now…

"Good." Skykit's tail waved happily. "Follow me." She bounced away before he could say anything else, and all he could do was hurry after her.

She led him to a secluded corner of the camp, where the ground was a little sandy and a shrub halfway obscured their view of the rest of the camp. He could tell that this was where the kits usually played by the faint smell of the nursery here, and the tiny paw prints that dotted the sand and dirt around it.

Skykit abruptly turned to face him, and Stormkit halted to avoid running right into her. She grinned, he tail waving back and forth in the air.

"All right," she meowed. "What're you gonna teach me first?"

Stormkit thought fast. She'd never fought before, so she wouldn't know the difference between a real battle move and one that he made up, would she? But what could he teach her? He decided to wing it.

"Ummm…Well, you stand like this." He spread his legs out farther apart, and Skykit copied him. "Then you…flex your muscles a little to loosen them up." He tightened his leg muscles, and Skykit did the same. "Then…you try to leap over your enemy. Like this!"

He suddenly ran at Skykit, then jumped at her. But he realized all too late that he hadn't leapt high enough. Skykit screamed, trying to duck, but Stormkit rammed right into her and knocked them both to the ground. Dirt and sand flew up everywhere, and Stormkit ended up on his belly beside Skykit, with her on her back. He groaned in pain. He'd hit his head.

Skykit lifted her head and looked at him, her face smudged with dirt.

"Are you sure you know how to fight?" she questioned doubtfully.

"The move's meant for shorter cats…" Stormkit grumbled, embarrassed.

Skykit laughed unexpectedly, and Stormkit lifted his head up to look at her, smiling shyly.

He liked her laugh.

* * *

><p>"Hey…Stormkit…Get up. We have a mission."<p>

Stormkit opened his eyes to see Tigerkit standing above him, grinning in excitement. Moonlight flooded into the cave that was the nursery, illuminating the sleeping kits and queens around them. Stormkit was curled up on a little bed of moss and reeds, having given up on sleep long ago. His limbs still ached from his 'training' with Skykit earlier that day. He'd shown her a few more moves, all of which he'd made up off the top of his head, and by the time they had to go into the nursery for bed they were covered in dirt and laughing their tails off. He'd rather stay in his nest and reminisce than go on some 'mission' with Tigerkit.

"What are you talking about? Go to sleep, Tigerkit," he grumbled, laying his head back down on the soft moss of his nest; content.

"Oh, no you don't." Tigerkit kicked him in the head, and Stormkit let out a little hiss. He glared up at his brother, but the little tabby just smiled. "Come on. What we're going to do is more important than you getting your beauty sleep. Get up and follow me." He flicked his tail and headed out of the den. Stormkit grumbled in annoyance, but got up and followed him.

The camp was completely silent. The warriors of StarClan glittered coldly in the black sky above, and the moon was just beginning to wane. It was colder than the night before, his breath puffing out in front of him in a white cloud. Leaf-bare was approaching quicker than he'd like. Soon, it would be snowing.

"Where are we going?" Stormkit asked, running to catch up with Tigerkit. He was walking purposefully through the center of camp, the corners of his mouth quirking up into a mischievous smile.

"To spy on Sunstar," he answered.

Stormkit stopped in his tracks. Tigerkit halted and looked back at him, brows furrowing in annoyance. "Spy on Sunstar? What if we get caught?"

Tigerkit rolled his eyes. "We won't get caught, Stormkit."

"How do you know if we'll get caught or not?" Stormkit accused. "And besides, he's probably asleep. What's the point of spying on him if he's sleeping?"

Tigerkit was becoming more and more impatient, his tail flicking back and forth. "Well, if he's _not _sleeping, then we might find out something useful to tell Coldstar. What if he's talking about battle plans with the deputy? Then we'd know about it, and we could warn our _real _Clanmates and they'd be ready to fight them! Now come _on_!"

Stormkit wasn't convinced. What were the chances that they'd catch Sunstar talking about battle plans with the deputy? But Tigerkit really thought they'd hear something important, and if Tigerkit wanted to go, he'd drag Stormkit along with him if he had to. And hey, maybe they wouldhear something important. Coldstar _would _be proud if they did…

Stormkit sighed. "All right. Fine. I'll go."

Tigerkit smiled. "Great. Now let's go."

He bounded off, and Stormkit hurried after him. He wasn't sure where the leader's den was, but he assumed Tigerkit knew. He'd probably been scouting around in the time Stormkit had spent teaching fake moves to Skykit. While he'd been playing, his brother had been doing what they had been trained from birth to do. It had only been two days, and Stormkit had already strayed from his original task. What if Coldstar were here? He'd be so disappointed in him…

_No more, _Stormkit thought to himself. _I'm not going to waste my time with Skykit anymore. I need to start being more like Tigerkit, and do what I'm supposed to do. I can't let Coldstar down…_

But even with this new resolve, Stormkit's heart felt heavy. He wouldn't be able to play with Skykit anymore…

"It's up there," Tigerkit whispered suddenly, stopping at the base of the Redrock. Stormkit halted beside him, following his tail gestures to the top of the Redrock, where he could barely make out the top of the mouth of a cave in the slope of the hollow. He hadn't noticed that before.

"That's the leader's den?" he queried, looking at his brother.

Tigerkit nodded. "Follow me," he meowed. "And be quiet."

The little tom leaped up the slope, clawing his way to the top. Stormkit hesitated, then dug his claws in and followed. The sides of the hollow were steep, and by the time they got to the top his legs ached with the effort combined with his soreness from his earlier playing with Skykit. Tigerkit didn't look tired at all. He crouched at the top of the Redrock, his blue eyes flashing as he stared into the mouth of the cave where Sunstar slept.

Tigerkit flicked his tail for Stormkit to follow, then slinked across the stone to the entrance to the leader's den. Stormkit followed behind him, peering into the darkness of the cave. He could barely make out the hulking form of Sunstar through the shadows. The sound of light snoring could be heard.

Stormkit sighed. "See? I told you he would be asleep. Now let's go back to the nursery."

Tigerkit looked disappointed. "Awww…I really hoped that we'd hear something good..."

"We'll come back some other night," Stormkit whispered. "Come on. Let's leave."

Tigerkit nodded slowly, and they both turned to hurry back down the slope and back to the nursery. But at that moment, Stormkit spotted the figure of a cat running toward them from the other side of camp, and he froze with fear. Tigerkit saw it, too. But instead of freezing, he shoved Stormkit from behind, pushing him down to the ground on the opposite side of the Redrock from the running cat.

"Get down!" he hissed, crouching beside him. Stormkit peered over the top of the rock as the figure easily leaped up the slope and hurried into the leader's den. He hadn't been able to see who it was, but he really didn't care right now. They'd almost gotten caught. He wanted to _leave._

"We need to go," Stormkit meowed quietly, his voice shaky. He stood and faced the nursery, but Tigerkit stuck his tail out in front of him, stopping him from leaping down the slope.

"What are you talking about?" he whispered excitedly. "This is our chance! Let's go!" He jerked his head in the direction of the leader's den, and Stormkit's eyes widened.

"Are you serious?" he hissed. "They'll see us!"

"No they won't," Tigerkit assured. "We won't look inside. We'll just get close enough to hear what they're saying. Come on!"

Before Stormkit could stop him, Tigerkit stood and scampered over to the mouth of the leader's den. He let out an exasperated sigh, praying to StarClan that they wouldn't be found, and hurried after him. He caught the last part of Sunstar's sentence as he got close enough to hear.

"-you sure?" he was saying as Stormkit crouched next to Tigerkit outside the cave. He strained his ears to listen, tensed to run if anybody decided to come out.

"I'm positive." The voice of Willowsong drifted out from the den, and Stormkit's ears pricked. "StarClan just came to me in a dream. They gave me an omen, Sunstar."

"What did they say?"

Stormkit, his pelt prickling in wonder at the conversation between the leader and the medicine cat, heard Willowsong take a breath before she began to repeat what the cats of StarClan had told her in her dream.

"_Beware, for danger lies in the enemy's disguise."_

Stormkit froze, his eyes widening. He and his brother shared a disbelieving look, fear mirrored in both their eyes. They knew what the omen meant. StarClan _knew_ about them. They'd figured it out_. _And they'd told Willowsong about them! Oh, they'd get caught now. They'd be chased out. Maybe even _killed_! Coldstar would be so disappointed…

"What does it mean, Sunstar?"

Stormkit stopped, leaning forward on his toes, ears straining hard for the leader's answer. He didn't need to, however. Sunstar's voice rumbled with certainty as he said his next words.

"It can only mean one thing, Willowsong."

Stormkit held his breath.

"FogClan."

Stormkit and Tigerkit looked at each other, hearts clenched in terror.

They ran back to the nursery as fast as their paws could carry them.

* * *

><p><strong>Ooooh…Creepy omen… ;)<strong>

**Well, this isn't good. Are Tigerkit and Stormkit going to get caught? Will Stormkit ever talk to Skykit again? Find out in Chapter FIVE, coming out…tomorrow? Saturday? Somewhere around that time.**

**Review and tell me if you like. :)**


	6. Torn

**Hey, sorry this took so long. I had the intention of updating yesterday night or this morning, but this chapter just became longer and longer. It took more time than I thought! I ended up having to cut it in half. :(**

**Well, here it is. Hope you like it. **

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 5<strong>

**~Torn~**

The ground was soft and spongy beneath Stormkit's paws, and he let out a deep, contented sigh as he sat with his eyes closed and his head tilted upwards. The breeze that stirred his fur was warm, and the quiet hush of the wind whispered through the trees at the edges of the field. It was peaceful here. Stormkit opened his eyes to see the stars twinkling in the indigo sky above. Strange, how they seemed closer tonight. They almost seemed like they were moving.

"Hello."

Stormkit jolted a little, surprised by the voice. He looked away from the skies, and his amber eyes met another cat's ocean blue ones. Sitting before him, just a tail-length away, sat a smoky gray kit about the same size as he was, stars twinkling faintly in his fur. Stormkit blinked, confused.

"Who are you?"

The kit raised one white paw and licked it.

"Name's Duskkit," he mewed.

Stormkit blinked again. He looked around, taking another glance at his surroundings. The unknown clearing. The moonlit forest. The way the stars seemed closer than they ever had, and how they glittered in the strange kit's fur. Slowly, things slowly began to click into place.

"I'm in StarClan?" he queried, surprised.

Duskkit nodded. "Uh-huh."

Stormkit's heart began to clench in panic. "Am I dead?" he asked, his eyes wide.

The gray kit shook his head. "Nuh-uh. I called you here."

"Why?"

Duskkit stood then, his tail flicking. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes as he crouched, grinning.

"I wanted to play."

Stormkit cocked his head in confusion. He wanted to _play_? He'd heard of cats being called to StarClan to receive prophesies, or be warned of coming danger. But he'd _never _heard of cats being summoned to _play._

"Why am I _really _here?" Stormkit asked instead.

"You can be a FogClan warrior," Duskkit mewed, his tail flicking in the air. "And I'll be a SeaClan warrior."

"I won't play with you until you tell me why I'm here."

Duskkit cocked his head. "I already told you."

Stormkit was getting a little annoyed now. What was this kit trying to do? He was almost certain he wasn't here because some StarClan kit wanted to have some fun. There _had _to be another reason, right?

"Either you tell me why I'm here, or send me back."

Duskkit sighed and straightened, looking disappointed.

"Okay."

He flicked his tail, and immediately Stormkit felt a sudden coldness creeping into his veins. His legs locked, and his breath hitched in his lungs. Darkness began clouding his vision as Duskkit started to fade along with the forest behind him.

"Wait!" he cried. "Why am I here?"

Duskkit only sat, his body fading while his crystal blue eyes remained bright, and a little sad.

"See ya later," he mewed.

Like ice, the dream shattered.

* * *

><p><em>Tha was the first time I encountered Duskkit.<em>

_It wasn't the last._

* * *

><p>Stormkit's eyes immediately snapped open to bright sunlight. He was curled up against Mistflower, who was murmuring something in her sleep. He was in the nursery, and Duskkit was nowhere to be seen. What had that been about? Who exactly <em>was<em> that kit? The other queen, Amberheart, sat on the other side of the den, grooming. Other than her and Mistflower, Stormkit was the only other cat in the nursery. Where was everyone else?

"It's about time. You've been sleeping for_ ages._"

Stormkit turned his head to see Tigerkit standing at the mouth of the cave, silhouetted against the sunlight that slanted in through the entrance. He padded farther inside, and Stormkit glanced at Mistflower. She was sleeping, too. Didn't that mean it was still morning?

Tigerkit seemed to read his mind. He jerked his head at their adoptive mother. "She sleeps 'til sunhigh every day." He wrinkled his nose, and added in a tone too low for the queen on the other side of the den to hear, "Lazy fish cat."

"What time of day is it?" Stormkit questioned, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"The sun's nearly in the middle of the sky," Tigerkit mewed. "I've been awake since this morning, suffering through the day alone."

Stormkit yawned. "Sorry."

Tigerkit leaned forward a little, and automatically Stormkit did that same. "Apologies later," he meowed. "I've been hanging around Sunstar's den all morning. He or Willowsong haven't said anything. I don't think they know that the omen was talking about _us._"

Stormkit quickly glanced behind him to see that Amberheart had slipped out of the den unnoticed, and Mistflower was still fast asleep. He looked back at Tigerkit, lowering his voice just in case.

"Are you sure? It seemed pretty clear to me."

"How could they know?" Tigerkit pointed out. "They think we're just a couple of rogue kits with no family. The omen probably doesn't make much sense to them. I don't think they suspect us, just FogClan."

Stormkit was a little relieved by this, but his pelt still itched with worry. "But _StarClan _knows," he meowed, recalling Duskkit. He was pretty sure the kit knew who he was, and that they weren't really orphans _or _rogues. He realized with a jolt that maybe _that _was the reason why he had summoned him. StarClan wanted to be sure that they were really FogClan! How could he have been so blind?

_Well, I didn't tell them anything!_ Stormkit thought triumphantly. _They can't do anything if they're not sure!_

"That may be so," Tigerkit mewed. "But they can't do anything. They're SeaClan's ancestors. They have no control over us."

Stormkit nodded. "That's true."

"Hey, Stormkit!"

Both brothers looked up to see Skykit running into the den, followed by her smaller sister, Rosekit. In the entire time he'd spent in SeaClan, the little black she-kit hadn't spoken a word to Stormkit. She glanced at him, then dropped her gaze to the ground.

Skykit skidded to a halt in front of Stormkit, her blue eyes shining. "Me and Rosekit were wondering if you wanted to come play with us!" she piped, a little out of breath. "Do you?"

Stormkit was tempted to say yes. He really wanted to, but he couldn't. It was Skykit that had distracted him from his original task, which the mission the night before reminded him of. He couldn't forget why he was here, and Skykit almost made him do just that. But still, he _really _wanted to play with her.

"Sorry," he forced himself to say. "I don't want to play right now."

Skykit looked a little disappointed. "Oh…" she mewed. "Well, then…Okay, I guess. See you later." She turned and padded more slowly out of the den, Rosekit trailing behind her. Once they were gone, Tigerkit looked at Stormkit, a strange look on his face.

"What?" Stormkit meowed, a little defensively.

"What was that about?" Tigerkit questioned.

"I can't get distracted from what we're here for," he answered. "We need to focus on what we're supposed to do, not on making friends and forgetting our mission."

Tigerkit sighed, exasperated. "But Stormkit, that's _part _of the mission!" When Stormkit looked at him strangely, he carried on. "We can't just keep to ourselves. They'll suspect something. You need to make at least a _few _friends, to blend in. I've been doing that with Thornkit." He grinned. "He's stupid, but that just makes it easier. Rosekit's too quiet, and Skykit's a little obnoxious if you ask me-" Tigerkit stopped when Stormkit suddenly burst into laughter, blinking at his brother in slight annoyance. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, nothing," Stormkit giggled. He was much happier now that he knew it was okay to be friends with Skykit. And he found it hilarious that she and his brother both thought of each other as 'obnoxious'. He didn't think that of Skykit at all. She was fun. He needed to go apologize to her…

But just as he opened his mouth to tell his brother, a shout suddenly sounded from outside in the camp. Stormkit looked up in confusion, and Tigerkit did the same. More shouts followed the first one, but only one was discernable.

"Willowsong! Get out here!"

Stormkit and Tigerkit looked at each other, then they both ran out of the nursery to see what was going on.

Outside, most of the Clan cats had crowded around the entrance. Willowsong was limping across the clearing toward them, one cobweb-swathed paw held above the ground and several different herbs hanging from her jaws. A breeze suddenly picked up, and Stormkit's eyes widened as the smell of blood drifted to his nose.

"Come on,'' Tigerkit meowed, running off towards the crowd.

"Hey, wait!" Stormkit called, and hurried after him.

Tigerkit didn't hesitate before he barged right into the crowd of cats. Stormkit followed him, dodging paws and squeezing between cats, keeping his eyes on his brother so as not to lose him in the crowd. Tigerkit suddenly stopped, and Stormkit peered over him, his amber eyes widening at what he saw.

Four cats sat battered and bloody just inside the entrance to the camp. Claw marks parted the fur on their pelts, scarlet blood matting their fur. He recognized one as the deputy, Icestorm, and another as the tabby tom who had been the one to carry Tigerkit back to camp, whose name he had figured out was Eagleheart. Willowsong was hurriedly trying to treat all of them at once, her mouth set in a straight line and her eyes focused and calm. The crowd tightened in around them, all of their expressions one of shock.

Sunstar suddenly appeared, pushing his way between cats to the front. His eyes blazed, and Stormkit shrank back a little at their intensity.

"What has happened here?" he demanded, and Icestorm looked up at him with one eye swollen shut.

"We were attacked, sir," he meowed weakly. "By a FogClan patrol."

Stormkit felt his heart skip a beat, and he glanced quickly at Tigerkit. He was shocked to see that his brother was _actually_ trying to hide a smile.

Sunstar looked furious. "What? Was a reason given?"

Icestorm winced. "They believe that we stole prey from their territory."

"That's preposterous!" Sunstar roared. "SeaClan would never steal any of FogClan's disgusting forest food!"

Icestorm shrugged. "That was the reason they gave us before they attacked."

"Hey!" someone growled behind Stormkit. He spun around to see a big brown tom towering over him, his amber eyes narrowed. "What are you two doing out here? Get back to the nursery, both of you! This is not for the eyes of kits!"

"Yes, sir!" Tigerkit meowed, though he was still trying not to smile as he turned and headed in the direction away from the injured patrol.

"Sorry!" Stormkit mewed, and the tom gave him a swat on the flank, sending him running back through the crowd after Tigerkit.

Once they were out of the mass of cats, they ran towards the nursery. Tigerkit let out a laugh before they bounded into the cave, where the two queens and the three kits, including Skykit, sat in the corner, eyes wide.

"There you are!" Mistflower exclaimed as they entered. "Why in StarClan were you outside?"

"We went to see why everyone was shouting," Stormkit mewed truthfully.

"What's going on out there?" Skykit questioned. Her blue eyes were wide.

"Is someone attacking the camp?" Thornkit asked. His eyes were wide too, but with excitement.

Tigerkit shook his head. "A patrol got attacked by something called 'FogClan'. They're really hurt."

"Then why are you smiling?" Skykit demanded, looking shocked.

Tigerkit's expression darkened. "I'm not smiling," he mewed, glaring. Skykit's eyes narrowed slightly.

Mistflower was standing at the entrance of the den with Amberheart. Her eyes were wide as she looked in the direction of the crowd, filled with worry.

"I hope Ashwhisker wasn't on the patrol…" she whispered.

"Look," Amberheart meowed. "I think Sunstar's calling a Clan meeting."

"You two stay here," Mistflower said sternly, glancing at Stormkit and Tigerkit before running out of the den towards the Redrock. Amberheart said the same to her kits, then ran after her. As soon as both the queens were gone, Tigerkit headed for the entrance.

"What are you doing?" Stormkit hissed. "Mistflower told us to stay here!"

"Are you deaf?" Skykit added mockingly. Tigerkit cast her a glare. His 'nice-guy' façade was beginning to crumble, like Stormkit had predicted, but he managed to hold onto it as he answered her.

"No. I'm just going to go see what Sunstar's saying." He looked at his brother, flicking his tail for him to follow. "Come on, Stormkit."

Skykit quickly turned her head to look at Stormkit, her eyes pleading. Tigerkit glared, his eyes demanding him to follow.

For a moment, Stormkit was torn. His brother? Or his new friend? He really wanted to see what Sunstar was saying, but he wanted to stay with Skykit, too…

"Stormkit! Follow _me_!" Tigerkit demanded. He let out a snarl, then turned and ran out of the den.

Stormkit cast one final glance at Skykit, then hurried after his brother.

* * *

><p><strong>Uh-oh. Stormkit chose Tigerkit instead of the cute and adorable Skykit? And who is this mysterious Duskkit? What did grown-up Stormkit mean by <em>'It wasn't the last'<em>? Find out...eventually!**

**Review if you like, and win a squishy Stormkit plushie!**


	7. Sneak

**Bleh. Sorry this took so long. I've been sick all week, so most of my free time was spent sleeping. I've spent maybe ten minutes each night writing, and now I finally have it done. And sorry that's there's no older Stormkit narraration in this one. I haven't had much time to think up something he would say; I've just been trying to finish the chapter. :P**

**Even so, I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 6<strong>

**~Sneak~**

Stormkit tried to forget the hurt look on Skykit's face as he ran out of the den after his brother. The crowd had moved to surround the Redrock, with the injured patrol being led by a few warriors and Willowsong towards the medicine den. Stormkit once again fought through the mass of cats behind his brother, barely catching the words of Sunstar as he sat atop the Redrock, his amber eyes blazing with rage.

"-has done this for the last time!" the golden tom bellowed. The cats around them howled their agreement. "We are not weak, no matter _what_ they say!"

Tigerkit scoffed beside Stormkit. Luckily, it was not heard over the shouts of the cats around them. Why had he chosen to follow his brother instead of stay in the nursery with Skykit? He felt a pang of regret, wishing he could run back to the nursery and apologize for ignoring her _twice._ He didn't want to be here…He wanted to be with her…

"Well, we will show _them_!" Sunstar roared, and Stormkit felt his heart drop. He didn't like where this was going. "We will show them we are _not _weak!"

_Don't say it, _Stormkit thought, his heart filling with dread. _Please, don't say it…_

"We attack tomorrow night!"

Stormkit gasped and looked at Tigerkit, his eyes wide with fear. Even his brother couldn't hide his dismay as the cats around them all cheered. They were _happy._ They all sounded like bloodthirsty animals to him; vile, disgusting killers. They wanted his family dead. They all hated his father with a_ passion_…

"Come on!" Tigerkit nudged Stormkit's shoulder, pushing him in the opposite direction of Sunstar. "Go!"

Stormkit scrambled in the direction Tigerkit was pushing him; away from Sunstar. Away from the SeaClan cats that relished in the spilling of his Clanmates' blood. He felt sick. He wanted to go home. He hated it here. _He wanted to go home!_

Stormkit tripped as Tigerkit pushed him into a bush at the edge of the camp, stumbling over onto the ground with a pained grunt. Tigerkit peered outside the bush, at the cats that were still gathered around the Redrock. Stormkit huddled on the ground, his eyes wide.

"I want to leave!" he mewed, and Tigerkit snapped his head around to look at him. "I don't like it here! If they knew what we were, they'd kill us!"

"We _are _leaving," Tigerkit meowed, and Stormkit's mouth dropped open in shock. "But not because you're feeling homesick; we need to warn Coldstar about the battle!"

"But we'll never make it back in time!" Stormkit exclaimed.

Tigerkit's blue eyes flashed. "It's not that far, Stormkit! And you remember the way back, don't you? It's practically a straight line! If we leave as soon as everyone is asleep tonight, we could make it there and back before sunrise tomorrow!"

Stormkit quickly weighed the possibilities. The patrol had found them near the FogClan border, and it had taken them maybe half an hour to run all the way back to camp. It was about another half an hour from the border to FogClan camp. That was an hour. It wasn't that long. But they were just _kits! _They couldn't run as fast as warriors, or defend themselves against predators. It would take them a lot of time. Maybe not enough time…

But maybe…just maybe…it _was_ enough.

Stormkit remembered his real home back in the forest. His father, his mother, his friends…They were the cats he cared about. The ones he was here for. He couldn't let them be attacked by Sunstar and his Clan of killers! If he stayed here, he'd never forgive himself…

"All right," Stormkit sighed. "We'll leave tonight."

* * *

><p><em>Thank StarClan for the moon, <em>Stormkit thought as he padded beside Tigerkit through the grass, which grew tall enough to tickle their noses. He tried not to look back at the SeaClan camp behind them, but he couldn't help it. As he stood staring back at the shrub-lined hollow, he wished that he had been nicer to Skykit. She'd been ignoring him ever since he chose Tigerkit over her, casting him angry looks whenever she saw him. She had every right to be mad. He hadn't been a very good friend…

"Hey! Why are you stopping? We have to hurry, Stormkit! Come on!" Tigerkit hissed from farther ahead. Stormkit tore his gaze away from the camp and hurried after him, banishing thoughts of Skykit from his mind. They had a long way to go.

Stormkit's heart pounded in his chest as he padded down the hill and into the sparse forest. The moon hung low in the sky, and a soft breeze stirred the grass. The only sounds were the ever-present chirp of crickets and the occasional croak of a frog as they walked. Far off in the distance, a coyote howled, sending shivers up Stormkit's spine. He moved closer to his brother, who didn't seem to have noticed the noise.

"I'm not sure if this was such a good idea," Stormkit mewed, his voice hushed.

"So you'd rather we let our Clanmates get attacked by SeaClan without any warning?" Tigerkit retorted, casting him a glare. "If we tell Coldstar there's going to be an ambush, they could be ready for the attack and do a lot more damage."

"I know that. But what if we don't make it back in time? We might blow our cover…" Stormkit shrank a little when another howl sounded, closer this time. "There are so many things that could go wrong…''

"Why do you always have to _worry _so much?" Tigerkit meowed, exasperated. He looked straight ahead, his jaw setting in determination. "We'll make it back in time."

_Don't be so sure, _Stormkit thought, looking around for any sign of danger. _Someone _had to be concerned for their safety, and Tigerkit obviously wasn't going to do that. It was Stormkit's job to hold him back and make him think twice before he did something especially foolish, and to slap down some of that arrogance whenever it got too out-of-hand. Though Tigerkit was the strongest, Stormkit was the smartest. He was the one with the most common sense.

_But still, to be that sure of myself…_Stormkit glanced at his brother, walking confidently in front of him, taking the lead like he always does. Fearless like usual. It would be so much easier. Sometimes he resented being the one that always hesitated; the one that always thought twice…

Stormkit's thoughts slowly slipped back to Skykit. She was similar to Tigerkit, he supposed. Not as cocky, and not as brutish. But she had the same air of confidence about her, and that same mischievousness. And, thank StarClan, she was _much_ nicer.

_And she's mad at me, _Stormkit thought sadly.

The spindly trees of the forest vanished from around them, and they were walking through another field. The grass was a little longer here, their eyes level with the tips of the blades. It was a small field, and he could see the next patch of forest ahead and around them.

The coyote howled again, even closer than before.

The sound jolted Stormkit, and he moved closer to his brother. He looked around nervously.

"…Tigerkit…" he mewed quietly, scanning the trees at the edges of the field. "…Do you hear that…?"

"What?" Tigerkit snapped, annoyed. "Hear what?"

"I hear a coyote…" Stormkit whispered, his voice shaking a little.

Tigerkit rolled his eyes and kept walking. "Come on. You're slowing us down."

But Stormkit stood where he was, his amber gaze sweeping over the not-so-distant treeline. The fur on the back of his neck prickled with the eerie feeling of being watched. The coyote sounded so close. What if it came after them? Tigerkit was getting farther ahead, so he took one last survey of the trees.

There.

Two bright yellow eyes flashed in the undergrowth.

"Get down!" Stormkit hissed, tackling his brother to the ground. Tigerkit let out a surprised yelp as they both sprawled out on their bellies in the grass. Luckily, it was tall enough to hide both of them from the eyes of the coyote.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Tigerkit mewed angrily, starting to get back up. But Stormkit slapped him down again, surprised by his own strength as Tigerkit flopped back down onto the ground. He looked back at him, his blue eyes glinting angrily at him.

"I saw a coyote!" Stormkit whispered. "We need to stay down until it passes."

"What?" Tigerkit finally seemed to register what Stormkit was saying. "Are you sure?"

Stormkit's amber eyes flashed. "I'm sure."

"Let me see." Tigerkit began to stand, and Stormkit felt alarm rise in his chest. If the coyote saw them, they'd be goners. He reached out to pull his brother back down to the ground, but Tigerkit turned and sent him a glare that caused Stormkit to lower his paw, his heart pounding in the fear of being caught.

Tigerkit slowly stood until he could see over the grass to the forest. Stormkit watched as his eyes widened almost immediately and he dropped back down onto his belly in the dirt, his eyes bright with fear. He'd seen the coyote.

"How close is it?" Stormkit questioned, his voice hushed.

"Close enough," Tigerkit mewed softly. "It's sniffing around about twenty fox-lengths from here."

"I hope it doesn't see us…"

"It will _hear _us if you don't shut up."

So the two kits crouched in the grass, neither saying a word. Stormkit could hear the coyote crunching through the grass dangerously close by, sniffing around for any scent that could lead it to prey. Every so often, he would see a flash of its dark pelt through the grass blades, or catch of glimpse of its yellow eyes glinting in the darkness. Stormkit remained huddled next to his brother, every muscle in his body taut with fear, until the sounds faded and they were left with the chirp of the crickets and croaks of the frogs once again. The coyote's scent was gone.

At first they were motionless, then Tigerkit slowly stood up. Stormkit watched him, heart pounding, as he scanned the field around them for any sign of the coyote. Finally, Tigerkit let out a sigh of relief and relaxed.

"It's gone," he said.

"You sure?" Stormkit slowly rose to his feet, glancing around for the coyote. He didn't see it anywhere, and he couldn't smell it. It hadn't noticed them.

"That was close," he mewed, sighing in relief.

"Tell me about it!" Tigerkit said, his eyes bright with excitement now that they weren't in any danger. Stormkit rolled his eyes; he couldn't see what was so great about nearly becoming a coyote's late-night snack.

The clearing suddenly darkened, and both kits looked up in time to see a cloud skitter across the moon, which was slowly approaching the center of the sky. Stormkit felt his heart drop. They'd been trapped by the coyote longer than they'd thought. And they weren't even halfway there.

"We need to go," he whispered, his eyes wide.

"Yeah," Tigerkit mewed, the excited light leaving his eyes. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>When they left the fields and entered the forest-<em>real<em> forest-Stormkit felt a wave of relief at being so close to home. When they finally crossed over the border into FogClan territory, his heart began to pound in anticipation and they both picked up their pace, eager to get back home. They couldn't see the moon through the dense leaves above, but Stormkit knew that it was past midnight. They had to tell Coldstar about the battle and get out as quick as possible. Maybe if some warriors carried them to the border, they'd have enough time to get back.

"Do you know where the camp is?" Stormkit asked, looking around at the forest. It seemed vaguely familiar, but he couldn't be sure.

"You have a better sense of direction than I do," Tigerkit mewed. "You tell me."

Just then they passed a fallen tree that Stormkit remembered seeing on their way to the SeaClan border. He knew where they were now. "Yeah. I remember this. We're almost there." He felt some of the worry in his chest lighten. They'd almost made it. They were almost home.

"Good," Tigerkit meowed, and they picked up their pace.

No more than ten minutes later, the first sign of camp appeared. They padded into the clearing where they'd trained just five days ago, which Stormkit knew was just a few fox-lengths away from camp. They began running, and when the bramble and rock walls of the FogClan camp came into view, Tigerkit let out a joyful cry. They bounded right into the entrance tunnel and into camp. Finally home.

"We're here!" Tigerkit shouted. The camp was silent; all the cats were still asleep. "Coldstar! We're back!"

Stormkit and his brother stopped in the middle of the camp, panting from the run as they stared at the rock cave that was the leader's den. For a moment it was still, but then a gray shape appeared at the mouth of the cave, and two amber eyes flashed from the darkness as their father appeared.

"Coldstar!" Stormkit exclaimed, his ears and tail perking up. He was so happy to see him!

But Coldstar didn't look very happy to see them. His eyes smoldered as he marched out of the darkness of the den and into the moonlight, his jaw set and his tail flicking. He didn't look very happy to see them at all.

"What are you two doing here?" he demanded, and Stormkit shrank a little. "It hasn't been three moons yet!"

"We came to warn you…" he mewed.

"About what?" Coldstar snapped.

"Sunstar is going to attack tomorrow night!" Tigerkit exclaimed, and Coldstar jerked his head to look at him. "He's mad that you attacked their patrol!"

"Of course they're going to attack!" Coldstar spat, and the two kits' eyes widened in surprise. "We know that they're coming, and we're fully prepared to fight. We have everything planned out for whenever it is they attack. But now _you two _have completely messed up the plan!"

Stormkit blinked in shock. "You…You knew?"

"Mouse-brains!" Coldstar hissed. "Of course we knew!"

Stormkit bowed his head in shame. They had come all the way here for nothing, and now their father was mad at them. How could he have been so stupid? More cats were beginning to come out of their dens, wondering what all the commotion was about. Stormkit's ears burned with embarrassment; now they all knew how mouse-brained they were.

"We're sorry…" Tigerkit mewed quietly, looking down at the ground.

"Be quiet," Coldstar growled. "You need to get back to SeaClan before they realized that you're gone. Sharpfang! Thistletooth! Get over here."

The two toms immediately obeyed, running to stand in front of Coldstar. They were both big toms, and fast too.

"Get these two the border," Coldstar meowed. "Run as fast as you can. I want them on their way through SeaClan territory in five minutes."

"Ummm…Coldstar?" Thistletooth mewed, looking upwards. "I think it's a little too late for that..."

Stormkit lifted his head to look up a the sky, and his heart dropped as he realized that the indigo was transitioning into a pale pink color, the first rays of sunlight cutting through the clouds and turning them purple and orange. Night had turned to dawn. They had taken too long to get here. There was no way they'd get back before someone realized that they were gone now.

They were too late.

* * *

><p><strong>I won't be able to get on the computer much until Sunday next week, so it's going to be a while before I update. I hope you can be patient. If I can, I'll try to get in at least one more chapter in that time. No promises, though.<strong>

**Review please. Because that's what Jesus would do.**


	8. Rescue

**Yay! I got it finished before I had to go! I've been speed-typing to get this done. Forgive me if I made any errors.**

**Hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 7<strong>

**~Rescue~**

Stormkit sat in front of the leader's den, his head bowed and his amber eyes locked on his paws. Camp life carried on around them; cats padded in and out of their dens or sat sharing tongues in the warm patches of watery sunlight that dotted the clearing. He would sometimes sense their eyes on him; could almost feel their disappointment. They snuck out of SeaClan to warn their Clanmates about the battle, but the only thing they managed to do was make everything worse. Tigerkit sat to his left, glaring at every cat that passed by as if it were their fault they had messed up their father's plans.

But it wasn't their fault. It was his and his brother's. Stormkit wished he could just disappear just so they wouldn't have to stay sitting here as they waited for their father to get done with his talk with the deputy, Raveheart. He wasn't looking forward to it.

"Stormkit!" someone suddenly shouted from across the clearing. The little gray tom looked up to see two kits running toward him, tripping over their own paws in their excitement. He immediately recognized them as Hawkkit and Fawnkit. His two best friends for as long as he could remember.

"Hawkkit! Fawnkit!" he exclaimed happily, leaving his post outside the leader's den to meet them in the center of camp. As soon as they were close enough, Hawkkit leaped and barreled into him, and the two rolled on the ground, wrestling and laughing like they always did in between Stormkit's training sessions. Fawnkit stood and watched them, beaming in happiness.

"What are you doing here?" Hawkkit questioned when they had finished playing, his brown tabby fur sticking up all over the place.

"We thought you weren't coming back for another three moons," Fawnkit explained, amber eyes shining.

"FogClan's going to attack tonight," Stormkit meowed. "We came to warn everybody."

"But we already knew they were coming," Hawkkit mewed, cocking his head. "Our father told us that they attacked the patrol so that they'd come, and then we'd ambush them or something like that…"

"To weaken them," Fawnkit finished.

Stormkit bowed his head again, the joyfulness at seeing his two friends again fading into shame and embarrassment. "Yeah…" he mewed quietly. "We didn't know that…"

Fawnkit, sensing his unhappiness, immediately piped, "Well, we're glad you're back! We really missed you, even though it's only been a couple days."

"But it felt like _forever_," Hawkkit meowed. "I haven't had anyone to play with! Dewkit hates fighting, and Swiftkit and Thrushkit are meanies."

Swiftkit and Thrushkit. Probably the only things Stormkit _didn't _miss about FogClan. They were two brothers that enjoyed picking fights and causing mischief. They'd always given Hawkkit and Stormkit a hard time, and teased Fawnkit mercilessly. And they were Tigerkit's best friends.

"Sorry you have to deal with those two without me," Stormkit mewed grimly. "They must be annoying you more than ever now."

Hawkkit flicked his tail dismissively. "Nah. We can handle it. I just want to hear about what's happened while you were gone! What's SeaClan like? Is it as terrible as everyone says it is?"

Both kits leaned in, eager to hear what Stormkit had to say about his adventures. He grinned. He'd forgotten how much he missed these two.

But before he could answer, a shadow fell over him and a voice rumbled from behind him.

"Save the stories for later," Coldstar meowed. Stormkit turned to face him, his eyes wide. "My den. Now."

The gray tom turned and padded away, disappearing into the shadows of his den. Stormkit looked back at Hawkkit and Fawnkit, who looked sad and apologetic.

"Guess we'll go," Hawkkit grumbled.

"Good luck," Fawnkit added sympathetically.

"I'll see you guys later." Stormkit sighed as his two best friends nodded and padded off towards the nursery. Taking a deep breath, he turned and headed into the leader's den. He was not looking forward to this.

Inside, it was dark except for the sunlight spilling in behind him. The den was circular, with smooth stone walls with moss hanging down from the ceilings and growing on the sides. The only sign of life in the den was Coldstar's nest, pushed to the very back. Ravenheart sat next to the wall on Stormkit's left, and Tigerkit hunched in the center of the cave. Coldstar sat in front of his nest, his amber eyes flashing through the darkness.

"Sit," he meowed, and Stormkit settled next to Tigerkit, his heart pounding in his chest. Coldstar seemed calmer now, but there was something venomous in the way he looked at them, like he was keeping his anger and disappointment bottled up deep inside. That's what he always did; he kept his emotions hidden. But they were there.

"Ravenheart and I have been talking," Coldstar began, his voice icy and cold. "We have come up with a new battle plan, now that the old one will be useless. The SeaClan cats probably believe that you two were kidnapped by us and so they will come earlier now. You will be under Ravenheart's supervision for your remaining time here in FogClan, and will spend the rest of the day training with him. When the attack comes you do exactly what he says, you got that?"

"Yes, sir," Tigerkit grumbled. Stormkit nodded, a little disappointed that he would probably not be able to talk to Hawkkit and Fawnkit before they had to leave. He had been looking forward to spending the day with his friends, who he probably weren't going to see again for another three moons…

"Good," Coldstar meowed. His eyes flicked over to Ravenheart, who stood from where he sat by the wall. "Your training begins now."

"Come with me," Ravenheart said, turning to leave the den. Tigerkit got up and followed, his head still low. Stormkit cast a final glance at his father, who wouldn't meet his gaze, before turning and scurrying after the deputy.

As soon as they were outside in the sunlight, Ravenheart stopped and turned to them. Stormkit skidded to a halt to avoid running into him, looking up to the deputy's warm yellow eyes in surprise. Even Tigerkit looked up from his sulking to glare in annoyance at the black and white tom.

Ravenheart gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry about your father," he meowed sincerely. "You two couldn't have known that we were already aware of the battle to come. I have to say that I am _very _impressed with your bravery."

Stormkit's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't been expecting that. "Really?"

Ravenheart nodded warmly. "Most kits do not have the courage to leave the safety of the nursery in the middle of the night in an attempt to save those they love. I probably wouldn't have been able to, when I was your age."

Stormkit was stunned. "Th-thank you!" he mewed gratefully. Now he wasn't so ashamed of what he had done.

Tigerkit, however, still looked resentful. "Whatever," he scowled, unconvinced.

Ravenheart didn't bother to say anything back to Tigerkit. Instead, he turned and flicked his tail for them to follow, grinning over his shoulder at them.

"Now. Let's go work on those battle skills."

* * *

><p>"So, as far as I know you've mostly been taught offensive moves, am I correct?" Ravenheart questioned as they stood in the center of the training hollow. It was still morning, so the sunlight had not yet reached the clearing. It was a little chilly out, and a few clouds floated lazily across the pink-tinged sky. Stormkit could already tell it was going to be a beautiful day.<p>

Since Tigerkit wasn't speaking, he decided to answer. "Yes."

Ravenheart nodded. "All right. So today we will focus on the defensive…"

Training carried on through the day. Tigerkit eventually stopped sulking; fighting had that effect on him. He was laughing and taunting Stormkit within ten minutes, and he was glad he had his brother back. Training in the hollow with his obnoxious brother and Ravenheart…Stormkit felt like he was home.

"I want to fight in the battle against SeaClan!" Tigerkit exclaimed, wriggling in excitement. "I could help!"

"Yeah right," Stormkit laughed. "All Sunstar would have to do is step on you."

Ravenheart chuckled from where he sat on the sidelines. "No, Tigerkit. You can't fight against SeaClan. You're on their side, remember?"

Tigerkit seemed to deflate a little, his nose wrinkling as he remembered that they were supposed to be SeaClan kits. "Oh yeah," he grumbled. "We have to go back soon…"

Stormkit's happiness faded, his smile slowly vanishing. He'd forgotten; they were on SeaClan's side. They weren't going to be home for much longer. He'd have to leave everything behind again. Hawkkit, Fawnkit, Coldstar…everyone.

"It will be okay," Ravenheart meowed sympathetically. "It's not like you'll be gone forever. Just remember that when all of this is over, you two will be the heroes of FogClan. There will be stories about you and what you did for your Clan. You two will become legends, greater than any cat before you."

Stormkit perked and lifted his head, his amber eyes wide. "Really…? You promise?"

Ravenheart smiled. "I promise."

Just then, a breeze picked up, stirring their fur and causing the leaves of the trees to quiver. Ravenheart suddenly froze, every muscle in his body tensing. A familiar scent drifted on the wind to Stormkit's nose, and he recognized it immediately. Salt and fish.

SeaClan.

"Come with me," Ravenheart meowed, his voice quiet and strained. He turned and quickly padded out of the clearing towards camp, and the two kits scurried after him. Stormkit's heart clenched in fear; they were coming.

Ravenheart lead them back through the entrance tunnel into camp, where cats were running around, preparing for battle. They had caught the scent, too. It looked like they were all assembling in the center of camp in a tight group, all facing the forest. Coldstar was at its front, his ice blue eyes staring straight out without any hint of emotion. They hurried past them, heading for the very back of camp.

"Stay in here," Ravenheart whispered, flicking his tail towards a little gap between two rocks that was backed against a bramble bush. Tigerkit hurried inside, and Stormkit followed. Stormkit turned to look at Ravenheart.

"What are you going to do?" he asked, his eyes wide.

"I'm going to guard you and fend off the SeaClan cats," the black and white tom meowed. "I'm going to let them through eventually, and when that happens I want you to act very happy to be saved. Make it believable, and don't worry about me."

Both kits nodded, and Ravenheart turned to block the gap from view. It was silent for a moment; even Tigerkit looked subdued, his blue eyes wide. Stormkit strained his ears, listening intently for the battle that was soon to come.

The silence dragged on, and Stormkit wondered if it was just a false alarm. But then a sound finally reached his ears; many, many paws drumming on the hard earth, cats running toward them. The fishy scent of SeaClan became stronger, and Stormkit realized, even though he couldn't see past Ravenheart, that the enemy cats were inside the camp.

"Where are the kits?" the voice of Sunstar demanded, causing Stormkit to jolt in surprise.

Coldstar, in a voice that was calm and cold, answered. "We do not have your kits."

"Lies!" another voice accused, one Stormkit didn't recognize. "Their scent leads to your border!"

"We know you have the kits!" Sunstar boomed. "Return them to us, and we will leave without a fight."

Coldstar laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. "You're imagining things, Sunstar. We do not have any kits of SeaClan's."

"Yell," Ravenheart whispered to them.

Stormkit's eyes widened. "What?"

"Say something!" he hissed.

"Help us!" Tigerkit shouted, causing Stormkit to jump. "We're here!"

"Shut up!" Ravenheart snarled maliciously, loud enough for the SeaClan cats to hear.

"Liar!" Sunstar roared. "SeaClan! _Attack!"_

Suddenly, cats were screeching and yowling and spitting in rage. The sounds of battle rang out through the clearing, and Stormkit backed away, pricking himself on the brambles behind him. He let out a little yelp, his heart pounding in his chest. He was glad he couldn't see it all.

But that luxury quickly vanished as Ravenheart suddenly yowled and disappeared from in front of the gap. Tigerkit, who had been trying to see the battle from behind Ravenheart, let out a surprised squeal and scrambled backwards, nearly falling on top of Stormkit. His whole body froze as he saw the chaos before him.

The two Clans were literally tearing each other apart. Claws flashed and scarlet blood glistened wetly on everything, glinting crimson in the sunlight. Wails of agony and screeches of fury met Stormkit's ears, and he stared, his mouth hanging open and his paws frozen in place, at the grisly sight of claws tearing through fur and teeth ripping through flesh before him. So much blood…

His view was suddenly blocked, and then a massive gray paw slammed into him from behind, knocking him out of the gap and into the camp. Ravenheart lay slumped in a pile of bloodied fur to his left, and Stormkit nearly chocked in horror at the sight. Great, StarClan! Did they kill him?

"Move!" the cat behind him shouted, and he was pushed through the clearing; right into the battleground. "Get to the entrance!"

Stormkit scrambled through the mass of writhing, spitting cats towards the entrance to camp, his heart pounding so hard he thought it would break through his ribcage. Paws trampled the ground around them, and numerous times Stormkit slipped on a puddle of blood or was knocked over by a cat as they ran screeching through the clearing. The gray cat stayed behind them, fending off every FogClan cat that came their way. He recognized each of them, and each time he resisted the urge to call out and tell the cat to _Stop! You're killing my family!_

Someone wailed in agony nearby, and a cat slammed to the ground right beside them, blood streaming down its face. He couldn't even tell if it was SeaClan or FogClan. He tried to focus on getting to the entrance; on getting out of this hell…

"No!" the black cat suddenly shouted behind them. "Sunstar!"

And suddenly he saw them. Sunstar and Coldstar, locked a writhing, screeching mass. Stormkit saw his father's paw flash out, the claws glinting in the sunlight. Saw it slash through ginger fur and flesh. Blood spattered the grass, and Sunstar slumped to the ground, his lifeblood spilling out onto the grass as the light left his eyes and he stilled, his mouth gaping open in a silent scream. He stared sightlessly at the sky.

And Coldstar stood over him, smiling, his teeth covered in blood.

* * *

><p><em>That was the first time I saw someone die. And it was by my father's claws. That was the day when things began to change; when I started to take a step back and look at my father. <em>Really _look. _

_I didn't like what I saw._

* * *

><p><strong>Well, I guess I'll update when I get back. Hope you liked this chappy. Review if you did!<strong>


	9. Stage Two

**Yaaaay! I'm back! Wow. **_**Seventy-three**_** reviews. I couldn't ask for anything better. Thanks **_**so **_**much!**

**Anyway, here comes Chapter 8. Hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 8<strong>

**~Stage Two~**

Stormkit lay sprawled on the grass in the middle of the field, panting from exhaustion. His lungs burned and his aching limbs begged for rest, and he happily obliged, reveling in the cool night air and the glittering stars above. He felt at peace here, away from Tigerkit and the mission and Coldstar's master plan. Here, none of that could touch him. He was free. He let out a contented sigh, closing his eyes as he savored these few peaceful moments.

But, of course, it was not to last for long.

A paw thudded on his back, and he groaned as the smaller tom leaped up and tried to stand on his spine, wobbling a little before he regained his balance. He heard a kit-like chuckle, one he was glad he'd grown out of.

"Tired already?" Duskkit teased. "You only just got here!"

"I've had a long day," Stormkit mumbled. "And tomorrow's going to be even worse."

"_Worse_?" Duskkit echoed, scoffing. "What could be so bad about becoming an apprentice? You're supposed to be really, really happy!"

Stormkit slowly pushed himself to his paws, and Duskkit let out a short squeal as he tumbled off his back and onto the grass. He remembered when he first met Duskkit, three moons ago, when they'd been the same age and the same size. But Duskkit was stuck where he was, and Stormkit continued to grow. He was nearly twice as tall as him now, and he had traded his downy fluff for shorter, rougher fur. Whereas Duskkit remained a short, feathery gray fur ball with blue eyes as big and round as the moon.

"I'm just not looking forward to it," he meowed vaguely.

Duskkit cocked his head. "But why?"

Stormkit pursed his lips. In all his seven visits with Duskkit, he'd never told him what he was, that he was a FogClan spy set out to destroy his adopted Clan. He knew that's what Duskkit was trying to get out of him, but he'd been careful not to let anything slip. Around his third time in StarClan, Stormkit figured that he couldn't stop his visits, and that he was stuck with Duskkit for at least half an hour each time he came. So, why not make it worthwhile? He'd found a friend in the little kit, as much as he hated to admit it.

"I just don't like too much attention," Stormkit answered. Not a complete lie. He'd managed to stay out of the spotlight, keeping to the Nursery most of the time. The only cats he really knew were the queens, the kits, and their fathers. Sunstar, Icestorm, and Willowsong he knew, of course, and a couple of warriors. But not everyone. There were some cats in the Clan whose names he didn't even know.

The real reason, though, was that tomorrow was the day the ball really got rolling; Stage Two of Coldstar's plan.

Duskkit shrugged, then used a hindpaw to scratch vigorously behind his ear.

"Whatever ya say."

And as the starry world around him began to fade, Stormkit closed his eyes and welcomed the darkness.

* * *

><p><em>Things have changed, as you can see.<em>

_The battle between the Clans occurred three moons before this chapter of my story, back when I still whole-heartedly believed in my father and his plan for us. Back when things were…easier. Or as easy as it could get. As I have said before, my brother and I were not your average squealing, bouncing, innocent little kits that played all day and had nothing to fear and everything to look forward to. Even if we were, that time has long since passed. Here, we are growing older; getting ready to become apprentices and train to become warriors. It seems like such a long time ago…_

* * *

><p>Pale morning sunlight flooded in through the entrance of the nursery, warming Stormkit's back as he lay curled up next to Mistflower. He'd grown quite close to the she-cat in the last few moons, he thought vaguely as his eyes slowly opened. She wasn't the only cat he'd forged a friendship with, though.<p>

He lifted his head and gazed across the nursery at Skykit, sleeping soundly on the other side of the cave, surrounded by her siblings. She'd forgiven him for choosing Tigerkit over her the day before he and his brother snuck off to FogClan territory and witnessed their first battle. He smiled at the memory of her tackling him as soon as he appeared in the entrance of the camp after they'd been taken away from FogClan. It was a bittersweet memory. He'd been happy to see her, but behind that happiness there was the horror he had felt at witnessing his own father kill a cat, and smile while doing it.

"_Stormkit! I was so worried about you!" Skykit exclaimed as she stepped off of him, allowing him to slowly push himself to his paws. Her blue eyes were wide as she stared at him, shock registering in her gaze. "And you're covered in blood!"_

"_It's not my blood…" Stormkit mewed weakly, staring at the ground in front of him._

"_Well, at least you're okay," the she-kit pointed out. "And_ _you _already_ have more battle experience than I do, and I've been here longer than you have! Now where's the fairness in _that_?"_

Skykit's side rose and fell as she slept, her breaths slow and steady. After a moment, Stormkit pushed himself to his paws and slowly padded over to her, careful not to step on Tigerkit as he passed him. His brother was probably the biggest kit in the nursery; a big lump of dark tabby fur that snored occasionally. He gingerly stepped around him, making his way to the small, sleeping she-kit curled up in her nest between her siblings.

"Skykit…" he whispered, lightly prodding her side. "Skykit…Wake up…"

Skykit groaned, and then her eyes fluttered open, immediately locking onto his. She gave him a dreamy smile, not quite awake.

"Is it…morning?" she mewed, her eyes half-closed. "Already…?"

"Yes," Stormkit answered, his voice hushed. "Today is our apprentice ceremony."

"Really?" Skykit suddenly exclaimed, her blue eyes widening as she sat bolt upright. Stormkit pulled back just in time to avoid smacking his head with hers, and he accidentally backed up on Thornkit's tail, stepping on it right near the base.

"Ow!" the tom screeched, nearly leaping out of his skin. The sudden shout woke up almost everyone else in the den. Tigerkit, fur bristling, scrambled to his paws and looked around with wide blue eyes. Rosekit let out a squeal, suddenly sitting up in her nest. Amberheart raised her head quickly, amber eyes alert, and Echostep, who had moved into the nursery just a few weeks after Stormkit and Tigerkit were welcomed into SeaClan, stared around in confusion. Mistflower, however, remained in a deep sleep, one foreleg resting on her head. And, of course, Skykit was laughing.

Thornkit whipped around and glared at Stormkit. He smiled apologetically, his ears burning with embarrassment.

What a great way to start out the day.

* * *

><p>The sun was slowly approaching the center of the sky as Stormkit sat outside the nursery with Skykit and Rosekit. The two sisters seemed to be restless, casting anxious glances at Sunstar's den every, what, two seconds? Was Stormkit the only one here that <em>wasn't <em>nervous?

"Rosekit, I expected you to be a little scared, but…Skykit?" he meowed, just the slightest edge of teasing to his tone. Rosekit smiled faintly, and Skykit shot him a good-natured glare.

"Scared? I don't know the meaning of the word," she mewed, sweeping her tail in an exaggerated dismissive gesture. Stormkit chuckled, and Skykit carried on in a normal tone. "No, I'm just a little worried about who my mentor's going to be. What if it's _Hazelfrost_? Ugh. He'd probably spend more time flirting with me than training."

"I'm sure Sunstar won't stick you with him," Stormkit assured, his pelt bristling at the thought of the tom _flirting _with Skykit. His nose wrinkled.

"Well, if that happens, don't be surprised if I hurl myself into the ocean," the she-kit mewed, rolling her eyes.

Rosekit dragged her paw around in the dirt, biting her lip worriedly. "What if…What if I don't get to be Willowsong's apprentice?" she asked quietly.

"Well, did you ask Willowsong about it?" Skykit questioned.

Rosekit nodded. "She said she'd talk to Sunstar."

"Well, that means 'yes'," Stormkit mewed, giving Rosekit a reassuring smile. The she-kit was probably the shyest in the world, but also the sweetest. "You don't have to worry. Willowsong would be mouse-brained not to take you."

Rosekit brightened, looking up from the ground to smile at him.

"Hey…" Skykit mewed, suddenly standing as she stared past Stormkit with wide eyes. "I think Sunstar's getting ready to call a Clan meeting."

Stormkit immediately turned around to look behind him. Sure enough, the massive golden tom was making his way across the camp towards the Redrock, a small crowd of cats following behind him. He was calling a meeting. They were about to become apprentices! For the first time that day, Stormkit felt nervousness stir in the pit of his stomach. What if he got a bad mentor, like Skykit was worried about? He didn't think-

"Ah!" Stormkit yelped as a paw appeared from behind him and pulled him backwards. A rough tongue suddenly began to smooth down the fur on his back, and he squirmed to get out of his adoptive mother's grip, his ears burning hot with embarrassment. Skykit was _right _there, and she was giggling at him!

"Mistflower!" he whined as the tongue rasped over his head. "Let me go!"

"Not until you're all clean for the ceremony," she meowed warmly.

"Hey, don't think you're the only one," Tigerkit grumbled, suddenly appearing from the nursery. His fur was slicked down, and his face was twisted in disgust. He'd never accepted Mistflower as his mother, or even a friend, but when Skykit looked his way he put on the happy face. His nice-guy act held up for longer than Stormkit expected, but he could tell by the twitch at the corner of his brother's up-turned mouth that it was just hanging by a thread.

"Let all cats old enough to fish in the sea join here beneath the Redrock for a Clan meeting!" Sunstar bellowed, and Mistflower finally released him from her hold, gazing proudly at him. He shot her a mortified look.

"Come on, Stormkit!" Skykit mewed excitedly, standing at the edge of the mass of cats that had gathered around the Redrock. "Hurry!"

"I'm coming!" He ran over to her, and she turned and disappeared into the crowd. Stormkit followed, keeping an eye on her tail as it wove between cats. A few moments later, he emerged beside Skykit and Tigerkit at the front of the crowd, staring up at the looming rock before them, Sunstar standing high atop it.

"Today, we gather here for one of the most important events in the Clan," the golden tom began. "Today, five kits become apprentices. Both Amberheart's and Mistflower's kits are ready to begin their training. Thornkit, Skykit, Rosekit, Tigerkit, and Stormkit are all six moons old."

Stormkit felt a chill go up his spine, but he wasn't sure if it was excitement or dread. He knew what this ceremony meant for him and his brother.

"This is it," Skykit whispered beside him, and he felt a pang of guilt; something he was used to nowadays. He didn't like lying to people close to him, but here his entire life was a lie. If Skykit knew what he was, she wouldn't so much as look at him for as long as he lived. She'd be hurt, and the _last _thing he wanted to do was hurt her…

"Thornkit!" Sunstar suddenly boomed, snapping him back to reality. The mottled tom stepped forward, his head tilted back all the way to look up at the leader. "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Thornpaw."

"Thornpaw! Thornpaw!" the Clan cheered.

"Hazelfrost," Sunstar meowed, and the gray and white tom appeared from the crowd to stand in front of the Redrock. Stormkit nudged Skykit, casting her a teasing grin. She rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to the ceremony as Sunstar carried on. "Falconclaw mentored you, and I trust that you pass on all that you have learned from him to Thornpaw."

Hazelfrost nodded and he and Thornpaw touched noses.

"Rosekit," Sunstar called. The she-kit padded slowly forward, her slick black fur shining in the sunlight. She looked up at the leader, her amber eyes wide. "From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Rosepaw."

"Rosepaw!" Skykit and Stormkit shouted together. He could see that her paws were trembling as she stood before the golden tom as he continued with the ceremony.

"Willowsong," he meowed. Stormkit watched Rosepaw's eyes immediately light up as the medicine cat stepped forward, smiling down at the black she-cat. "You are an asset to the Clan, Willowsong. I pray that you pass on all your knowledge and wisdom to Rosepaw as she learns to be as great a medicine cat as you are."

"I will," Willowsong mewed, and bent to touch her nose to her new, still-trembling apprentice.

"Skykit."

The she-kit straightened as her name was called, and she cast an excited glance at Stormkit, who returned it with an assuring smile. She padded forward, her claws kneading the ground anxiously as Sunstar carried on.

"From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Skypaw."

"Skypaw! Skypaw!" Stormkit chanted happily, beaming at his friend. She seemed to be glowing, her eyes shining as she gazed up at her leader.

"Eagleheart." The brown and white tom stepped forward, and Stormkit remembered him as one of the cats that had been on the patrol that had found he and his brother all those moons ago. "You mentored Morningfrost, and she is a credit to the Clan. I trust that you pass on all you know to Skypaw, and make yet another great warrior of her."

Eagleheart dipped his head. "I will."

Skykit's eyes sparkled as she touched noses with her new mentor.

"Tigerkit."

Tigerkit nudged Stormkit as he passed, like he had done to Skypaw, but it was rough and it made him stumble forward a little. His brother winked at him, then went to stand beneath the Redrock, staring up at Sunstar with a glint in his eyes.

"From this day forward, until you receive you warrior name, you will be called Tigerpaw."

"Tigerpaw! Tigerpaw!" the Clan chanted.

"Adderstrike." The brown tom stepped forward. "You were mentor to Russetfang, and he has proved to be a valuable asset to the Clan. I trust that you train Tigerpaw the way you trained your previous apprentice, and make him into a strong warrior."

Adderstrike nodded, grinning, and bent his head to touch noses with Tigerpaw.

"Stormkit."

For a moment, he froze at the sound of his name. Then, slowly, he forced himself to stand and step forward away from the crowd. He felt the eyes of his so-called Clanmates on him as he stood, trying to look confident and brave like Tigerpaw or Skypaw, in front of the SeaClan leader. But he felt as terrified as Rosepaw had looked.

"From this day forward, until you receive your warrior name, you will be called Stormpaw," he boomed.

"Stormpaw! Stormpaw!" the Clan cheered, and he felt that same chill go up his spine. No, definitely not excitement. Dread.

"Reedwhisker."

Stormpaw turned to see the black tom with yellow eyes materialize from the crowd. It was the third tom from the patrol that had found him, the one that had kind of creeped him out. _Great_, he thought. _He's worse than Hazelfrost…_

"Reedwhisker, you mentored Icestorm, and we all see what a great cat he has become," Sunstar meowed as murmurs of agreement drifted from the crowd. Stormpaw blinked. He was Icestorm's mentor? Huh. Maybe this won't be so bad… "I trust that you pass on all you strength and wisdom to Stormpaw, and make him into as fine a warrior as your previous apprentice."

Reedwhisker nodded. "Thank you."

Stormpaw stretched his neck out to touch noses with the black tom, but his gaze drifted past Reedwhisker's yellow eyes to Skypaw's blue ones. She was looking at him, grinning proudly. Stormpaw felt his heart flutter in his chest as he stepped away from his new mentor, and the whole Clan raised their voices to cheer the new apprentices.

But even though they called his name, accepted him as a kit into their Clan, and then as an apprentice. Even though they'd given him food and shelter. Even though they'd welcomed him as one of their own…

He did not feel like he belonged.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry that there wasn't much Tigerpaw in this one, and even less action. But I wanted to kind of take a break from all the bloodshed after the last chapter, and incorporate a little bit more of Skypaw and Rosepaw into the story. And, of course, Duskkit. :)<strong>

**Well, I hoped you liked it anyway. Review, and maybe Skypaw won't hurl herself into the ocean.**


	10. Allegiances Update

**This is the **_**revised **_**Allegiances. A couple of moons have passed, and things change in that time. Here's the new SeaClan and FogClan.**

* * *

><p><strong>A L L E G I A N C E S<strong>

**SeaClan**

**Leader- **Sunstar- Fluffy light ginger tom with white tabby stripes and amber eyes.

**Deputy- **Icestorm- White tom with a black tail and blue eyes. Mate- Amberheart; Kits- Thornpaw, Rosepaw, and Skypaw

**Medicine Cat- **Willowsong- Sleek silver she-cat with green eyes. Apprentice- Rosepaw

**Warriors-**

Lilyfrost- Fluffy light gray tabby she-cat with green eyes. Apprentice- Cloverpaw

Eagleheart- Light brown and white tabby tom with amber eyes. Apprentice- Skypaw

Reedwhisker- Sleek black tom with white hind paws and yellow eyes. Apprentice- Stormpaw

Pebblefrost- Fluffy light ginger tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Adderstrike- Dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Mate- Echostep; Apprentice- Tigerpaw

Birdsong- Sleek blue-gray she-cat with yellow eyes.

Hazelfrost- White and light gray patched tom with blue eyes. Apprentice- Thornpaw

Ashwhisker- Dark gray tabby tom with blue eyes. Mate- Mistflower; Adopted sons- Tigerpaw and Stormpaw

Grayflower- Fluffy light gray she-cat with yellow eyes. Apprentice- Bluepaw

Robinflight- Dark brown she-cat with amber eyes.

Mistflower- Fluffy light gray she-cat with blue eyes. Mate- Ashwhisker; Adopted sons- Tigerpaw and Stormpaw

Amberheart- Dark brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes. Mate- Icestorm; Kits- Thornpaw, Skypaw, and Rosepaw

Morningfrost- Dark gray, white, and light gray calico she-cat with blue eyes. Brother- Russetfang

Russetfang- Dark ginger tom with white tabby stripes and blue eyes. Sister- Morningfrost

**Apprentices-**

Cloverpaw- Light brown tabby she-cat with a white underbelly and paws, and green eyes. Mentor- Lilyfrost

Bluepaw- Blue-gray tom with amber eyes. Mentor- Grayflower

Thornpaw- Dark brown and black mottled tom with green eyes. Parents- Mistflower and Ashwhisker; Siblings- Skypaw and Rosepaw; Mentor- Hazelfrost

Rosepaw- Black she-cat with amber eyes. Parents- Mistflower and Ashwhisker; Siblings- Thornpaw and Skypaw; Mentor- Willowsong

Skypaw- White she-cat with cloudy gray paws, muzzle, tail, and blue eyes. Parents- Mistflower and Ashwhisker; Siblings- Thornpaw and Rosepaw; Mentor- Eagleheart

Tigerpaw- Dark brown tabby tom with white paws, tail-tip, and blue eyes. Adoptive Parents- Amberheart and Icestorm; Brother- Stormpaw; Mentor- Adderstrike

Stormpaw- Gray tom with faint tabby stripes and amber eyes. . Adoptive Parents- Amberheart and Icestorm; Brother- Tigerpaw; Mentor- Reedwhisker

**Queens-**

Echostep- Silver tabby she-cat with green eyes. Mate- Adderstrike

**Kits-**

**Elders-**

Falconclaw- Light ginger tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Breezeflower- Fluffy black she-cat with green eyes.

**FogClan**

**Leader- **Coldstar- Light gray tom with darker paws and tail and blue eyes.

**Deputy- **Ravenheart- Black tom with white underbelly and yellow eyes. Mate- Littleflower; Kits- Hawkpaw and Fawnpaw

**Medicine Cat- **Smokefoot- Dark gray tom with yellow eyes.

**Warriors- **

Tornfeather- Cream-colored tabby tom with blue eyes.

Nightflower- Black she-cat with white paws and green eyes.

Sharpfang- Dark ginger and brown tabby tom with amber eyes. Mate- Wolfsong; Kits- Thrushkit, Swiftkit, and Dewkit; Apprentice- Gingerpaw

Ivyfrost- Light brown tabby she-cat with white underbelly and green eyes. Apprentice- Fawnpaw

Darkstream- Dark blue-gray she-cat with blue eyes. Apprentice- Oakpaw

Thistletooth- Dark brown tabby tom with yellow eyes.

Silverwing- Silver tabby she-cat with yellow eyes.

Redfoot- Ginger tom with darker paws and blue eyes. Apprentice- Hawkpaw

Fernshade- Light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes.

Briarthorn- Light brown tabby tom with white paws, underbelly, and blue eyes.

Raggedwing- Ruddy tom with amber eyes.

Littleflower- Light brown tabby she-cat with blue eyes. Mate- Ravenheart; Kits- Hawkpaw and Fawnpaw

Sootwhisker- Smokey-gray tom with blue eyes.

**Apprentices-**

Gingerpaw- Fluffy ginger she-cat with green eyes. Mentor- Sharpfang

Oakpaw- Cream-colored tom with yellow eyes. Mentor- Darkstream

Hawkpaw- Light brown tabby tom with blue eyes. Parents- Littleflower and Ravenheart; Sister- Fawnpaw; Mentor- Redfoot

Fawnpaw- Golden-brown she-cat with amber eyes. Parents- Littleflower and Ravenheart; Brother- Hawkpaw; Mentor- Ivyfrost

**Queens-**

Wolfsong- Dark brown she-cat with yellow eyes. Mate- Sharpfang; Kits- Thrushkit, Swiftkit, and Dewkit

**Kits-**

Thrushkit- Dark brown tabby tom with white paws and amber eyes. Parents- Sharpfang and Wolfsong; Siblings- Swiftkit and Dewkit

Swiftkit- Black and white tom with yellow eyes. Parents- Sharpfang and Wolfsong; Siblings- Thrushkit and Dewkit

Dewkit- Light gray she-kit with blue eyes. Parents- Sharpfang and Wolfsong; Siblings- Swiftkit and Thrushkit

**Elders-**

Tawnyfoot- Tawny-colored she-cat with green eyes.

Longfur- Fluffy light gray tom with amber eyes.


	11. Return

**Here comes Chapter 9. Sorry, but there's not much action in this one either, unless you call battle-training and sneaking around in the dark "action". What? There can't be a battle **_**every **_**chapter. Geesh. ;)**

**Well, hope you like it anyway.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 9<strong>

**~Return~**

"Come."

Stormpaw looked up at Reedwhisker. The black tom was walking away, pushing through the dissipating crowd towards the entrance tunnel into camp. Stormpaw cast a longing glance at Skypaw, who was talking animatedly to Rosepaw, before he turned and padded after the retreating tom.

"Where are we going?" he inquired as he caught up to his new mentor, padding along beside him as they moved farther away from the crowd.

"You are an apprentice now," he meowed. "Do you understand what that means?"

Stormpaw nodded. Of course he did. "I get to train to become a warrior."

Reedwhisker gave a curt nod as they padded through the entrance tunnel and out of camp. It was the first time Stormpaw had been outside the camp walls since that day three moons ago, and he shuddered at the memory as Reedwhisker carried on. "Yes, you get to train to become a warrior. And the road to becoming a warrior of SeaClan is a long and difficult one. You have to be loyal and strong, and you have to know how to protect and provide for your Clan. And to do that, you first need to know how to fight."

"Battle training?" Stormpaw queried, his ears pricking with interest.

The black tom looked down at him, giving a small grin. "Yes, battle training."

Reedwhisker stopped walking, and Stormpaw halted beside him to survey their surroundings. They were just a few fox-lengths away from camp in a small patch of sand, and to their right, not far away, was the edge of the cliff that jutted out into the sea. He could hear the pounding of the waves on the rocks, in addition to the sharp cries of seagulls soaring overhead. The air was crisp and cold, yet it was still rather warm for leaf-bare. Newleaf was on its way, and it was a beautiful day; not a cloud in the sky.

Reedwhisker padded a couple tail-lengths then turned to face Stormpaw, and he wondered vaguely if SeaClan and FogClan were taught the same battle moves.

"Now," the black tom meowed with a wry smile. "Try to hit me."

Stormpaw's ears flicked uncertainly. He wasn't so good at offensive moves, and most of the time he'd trained, he'd been up against Tigerpaw. Reedwhisker was twice his brother's size, bound to be twice as fast, and definitely twice as strong. How was he going to hit him?

_Might as well try…_

Reedwhisker was standing with his legs spread slightly apart, his head lowered so that he was staring straight into Stormpaw's eyes. He was probably one of the skinnier cats of SeaClan, who were mostly made up of big, well-muscled cats with powerful hind legs, which meant he was bound to be faster than the others. The young tom racked his brain, trying to remember his training from when he was a kit in FogClan. But the only thing he could think of doing was to go for the legs. Well, that was the obvious answer. Reedwhisker probably already knew what he was going to do.

But he had to try.

Stormpaw focused on Reedwhisker's right leg, a sinking feeling in his stomach, then kicked off the ground and sped towards his mentor as fast as he could. But, of course, Reedwhisker anticipated his plan of action. He sidestepped to get out of his way. Stormpaw let out a yelp as Reedwhisker brought a heavy paw down on his back as he shot past him, slamming him to the ground, the force knocking the air out of his lungs. He coughed, letting out a pained groan. That wasn't fair.

"Try again," Reedwhisker meowed.

Stormpaw pushed himself to his paws and slowly turned to face Reedwhisker. He was in the same defensive position, but his smile had grown wider. Stormpaw felt a pang of hopelessness. There was no _way_ he could hit someone as fast as Reedwhisker. He relaxed his muscles and let out a sigh of defeat.

"Don't give up now," Reedwhisker warned, his smile fading into a frown. "We've only just begun. Try not to look at what spot you're going to hit, and try again."

Stormpaw nodded slowly, thinking back to his previous training. Finally, his brain gave him something useful.

He remembered a time when Tigerpaw, then Tigerkit, had leaped at him during one of their training sessions. Stormpaw had jerked backwards, just in time to avoid being squashed beneath him, but Tigerpaw had kept going, kicking off the ground as soon as he'd landed to barrel straight into Stormpaw before he had time to get out of the way. Of course, it was a long shot to hope that Reedwhisker would move backwards instead of to the side, but right now it was all he had.

He'd processed all of this in just mere seconds, and Reedwhisker was still standing a few tail-lengths away, his grin having returned. He had the sudden urge to wipe that smirk right off his face. He was a FogClan cat, for StarClan's sake! And he'd been trained since he was two moons old to fight SeaClan cats. He should know how to do this, and this realization sent a surge of hope through him. He can do this.

Stormpaw crouched, bunched up his muscles, then leaped.

He felt a surge of triumph as Reedwhisker did exactly what he'd hoped he would do— he stepped backwards instead of to the side. As soon as Stormpaw landed he shot forward, kicking off the sand with all his might, claws outstretched. He barely had time to register the shock in Reedwhisker's eyes before he slammed right into him, knocking them both to the ground, a flurry of dirt and sand going up around them.

He'd done it!

Stormpaw scrambled to his paws, coughing, and looked up to see Reedwhisker staring at him with wide, surprised eyes.

"That was a FogClan move," he said slowly, eyeing Stormpaw a little differently than he had a few moments ago; suspicious.

Stormpaw felt himself freeze, his eyes widening slightly as he realized what he'd just done. He forced himself to stay calm as he meowed, "Oh…really? Huh. I guess I must've seen it during that battle with FogClan three moons ago…" He didn't like mentioning the battle, as it sent a chill up his spine, but it was the best he could come up with.

Reedwhisker nodded slowly, some of the suspicion leaving his yellow eyes. But it was still there, a small twinkle of doubt, and Stormpaw made a mental note to be more careful about what moves he used around his mentor from now on. He couldn't afford anyonebeing even _slightly _mistrusting of them. He wished Tigerpaw was here. He was the one that always knew exactly what to say.

"Sooo, do I get a prize for hitting you?" Stormpaw questioned lightly, forcing a smile. Reedwhisker stood, shaking his fur to rid it of some of the sand that clung to it. He returned Stormpaw's smile, and he noted with relief that the suspicion had disappeared from his gaze to be replaced with amusement.

"No," he meowed. "But I have to say that I am impressed. Now, let us see how well you do when the roles are switched. Iwill try to hit you, and you will try to dodge me."

Stormpaw nodded, barely suppressing a smile. Defensive moves, he knew how to do. Tigerpaw might be the one that could talk his way out of anything, and he might have brought Reedwhisker to the ground a little sooner than he had, but Stormpaw was the fast one. His smile grew as he remembered their training sessions when they were younger, when Tigerpaw threw his little tantrums when he couldn't bring Stormpaw down.

"Now, what are you grinning about?" Reedwhisker questioned, snapping Stormpaw out of his reverie.

"Nothing," he mewed, banishing the memories from his mind. That was back when everything was so much simpler. Now, he was on constant guard, doing his best to fit in without causing suspicion. Now, when he remembered back to those easy times, all he felt was homesick.

Homesick for normalcy. Homesick for Hawkkit and Fawnkit. Homesick for the forest that was his true home.

Not for Coldstar.

"Good," his mentor meowed.

Before Stormpaw could even move an inch, Reedwhisker shot forward and barreled right into him. He was on the ground before he could even register what was happening. He coughed as another plume of dirt and sand rose up around him, his chest aching from the impact. _Wow, that was fast…_

"Hey, where'd that grin go?" Reedwhisker teased. Stormpaw lifted his head to look at him, expecting a scornful smirk or a disdainful scowl, but instead the black tom was smiling down at him, his eyes twinkling with amusement before he gave a rumbling laugh.

Instead of answering, Stormpaw laughed along with him.

Maybe having Reedwhisker as a mentor wasn't going to be so bad after all.

* * *

><p>The forest was silent and cold, a thin coating of frost having already formed over the leaves and the grass that made up the open field. The white-dusted blades swayed in the chill breeze, and Stormpaw shivered with the cold. There was no sun to warm his smoky pelt; it had been replaced by the thin, white sliver of moon that hung low in the sky. It was barely even enough to light his way. He couldn't even tell where they were.<p>

"Are you sure this is the right way?" Stormpaw questioned, picking up his pace to catch up with the burly form of his brother, his dark tabby fur shining silver in the pale light of the crescent moon. The question came out as a white cloud from his mouth, and Tigerpaw glanced back at him, the corner of his mouth turned up into a satirical smile.

"Of course I'm sure," he answered. "While you were out learning battle moves you already know, _I _was being given a tour of the territory." His arrogant smile suddenly turned sour, as if he were remembering something he'd rather not. "Of course, I had to endure trekking through the woods with that irritating _friend _of yours, who spent the entire day harassing me. How you put up with her is a mystery to me," he grumbled.

It was Stormpaw's turn to smile. "_You _were the one that told me it was good to make friends here," he pointed out with a roll of his eyes.

Tigerpaw's nose wrinkled distastefully. "Yeah. Well. Now I'm starting to wish I hadn't."

Tigerpaw's confession was greeted by a laugh from Stormpaw, and he turned to glare at his smaller brother before focusing back on the path ahead. Stormpaw knew about his brother's and Skypaw's dislike for each other, and he found it comical. Tigerpaw had never liked Hawkkit and Fawnkit either, and instead spent his time harassing _them. _Maybe it was about time he got a taste of his own medicine.

They left he field behind them and entered another patch of forest, much denser than the one on the other side of the field. If Tigerpaw in fact _did _know where he was going, they should be entering FogClan territory soon. Now, in the quiet of the forest and the prospect of spending the next hour or so hiking in silence, Stormpaw began to wonder how much had changed since the last time they'd been in their old home.

He wondered about Ravenheart; how the last time he'd seen him he'd been lying slumped in a pool of his own blood, unmoving and seemingly lifeless. Had the FogClan deputy survived the battle? He sure hoped so. Ravenheart was a good, kind cat. He really liked him.

His mind drifted over to his friends, Hawkkit and Fawnkit. He wondered how they were holding up against Swiftkit and Thrushkit. And, if Ravenheart did die in the battle, how were they handling their father's death? Stormpaw felt a pang of sorrow in his heart. If that was the case, then they had to mourn without Stormpaw's support and friendship. He sincerely hoped that Ravenheart had survived…

His thoughts slipped to Fernshade, his _real _mother. He hadn't gotten to see her when they had last been in the FogClan camp. She hadn't been there to watch them train, and he hadn't seen her fighting in the battle. What if something had happened to her? He felt another pang, this time of fear, and it struck a deeper chord than the guilt over not being there for Hawkkit and Fawnkit. He and his mother had never really been all that close, but she was still his mother.

And then there was Coldstar. He remembered the battle, the one that seemed to have had so much of an impact on him. Why did it bother him so much that his father had taken one of Sunstar's lives? The memory shouldn't plague him so much. He should be happy. Coldstar had made it easier for them…

"Hey, speed up," Tigerpaw called over his shoulder, and Stormpaw looked up to see that he drifted farther and farther behind. He hurried to catch up to his brother, whose pace had quickened. "We're almost there."

Sure enough, a few moments later they came to the stream that could be seen from FogClan, and immediately Stormpaw knew where they were. He broke into a run, shooting ahead of Tigerpaw to leap across the stream, followed closely by his brother. They both hit the ground running, and soon they were racing through the forest towards their home, laughing as they tried to get ahead of each other. For a moment, he felt completely free.

But then suddenly he heard a yowl, and something rammed into him from the side. He let out a surprised screech as he was slammed hard into earth, the air leaving his lungs as his chest struck a rock. A heavy paw pressed between his shoulders, pinning him, and he lay there, gasping for breath and clawing feebly at the earth to try and get away. A voice snarled from above, gruff and familiar.

"SeaClan intruders!"

He recognized that voice.

"Thistletooth!" he rasped. "Stop! It's us!"

The paw suddenly disappeared from his back, and as soon as the weight was lifted he broke into a coughing fit, sucking air back into his lungs. His eyes watered from the pain in his chest, and he wondered if the rock pierced his skin.

"Let them go," another voice rumbled, sounding just a little disappointed now that they knew there wasn't going to be a battle. "It's just Tigerkit and Stormkit."

"Tiger_paw _now!" his brother snapped, and by the sound of his strained voice Stormpaw could tell he was in the same predicament as he was. "And wait 'til my father hears about this! You're gonna be in big trouble!"

"I doubt that," the same voice meowed contemptuously.

Jaws suddenly closed around Stormpaw's scruff, and he was lifted into the air and set on his feet. He wobbled for a moment, his limbs aching a little from being bowled over by a fully grown warrior, and looked up into the apologetic face of Darkstream.

"We're glad you're back," she meowed, and Stormpaw nodded gratefully.

Behind Darkstream, he could make out the figures of two other cats— Thistletooth and Sharpfang. Tigerpaw was just pushing himself to his paws, glaring at Sharpfang, who just rolled his eyes at the younger tom's scowl.

"Where's Coldstar?" Stormpaw questioned Darkstream, looking up into her dark blue eyes, black in the shadowy forest. He didn't necessarily want to see his father, but it was part of their mission to talk to him tonight.

"I sent Oakpaw to fetch him when we caught your scent," she answered. "He should be here soon."

"We could smell you from the other side of the territory," Sharpfang grumbled, wrinkling his nose at the still-fuming Tigerpaw. "You both reek of fish cat."

"Really?" Tigerpaw growled, his tone laced with sarcasm. "I would have never guessed that after spending three moons in SeaClan, we'd _smell _like them. How observant of you."

"Watch yourself, kit," Sharpfang spat, baring his teeth. "Before I claw that arrogant smirk of yours off your face."

"Enough."

Everyone froze, and Sharpfang immediately snapped his mouth shut. Stormpaw tensed as a sixth cat padded from the shadows, Darkstream's apprentice Oakpaw crouching at his heels. He stared wide-eyed up at the dark gray tom, whose icy blue eyes pierced straight through the heavy darkness, flashing coldly. Stormpaw shuddered as glittering claws came slashing down, tearing through golden fur and flesh, bloodied teeth flashing in a dark smile.

"My sons," Coldstar meowed. "You have returned."

* * *

><p><em>Things are changing, you see?<em>

_My idol has become my nightmare. Do you know what it feels like to be afraid of your own father? I hope not. It is a dark feeling, realizing that the cat who raised you, groomed you to think and act like them, and who you respected and loved, is not the cat you thought they were. Yes, I began to doubt my father. But not my mission. Cats I cared about, not just my father, were counting on me for that. And I couldn't let them down._

_But that was before _she _changed everything._

* * *

><p><strong>Hmmm…What will happen next? Has anyone figured out anymore key points in Coldstar's plan? What do you think of Reedwhisker? Review, and tell me. I like to see how well my readers can put together the pieces of the puzzle I've made. ;)<strong>

**CHAPTER 10 will come out some time before Sunday. Hope you still like my story! :)**


	12. Home

**Meh. Sorry this took so long. I know I said I'd update **_**before **_**Sunday, but it's been pretty busy these last couple of days, and it's gonna be busy next week too. The most times I'll be able to update are probably just once of twice. Sorry!**

**Hope you like anyway.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 10<strong>

**~Home~**

"You're back earlier than I expected," Coldstar meowed, his eyes slipping between Tigerpaw and Stormpaw slowly, taking them in. Stormpaw shifted where he sat, casting his eyes to the ground when his father's gaze slid over him. "You are not yet six moons. Not for another week."

"The fish cats don't know our actual ages," Tigerpaw mewed, and Stormpaw could detect the reverence in his tone as he spoke to their father. He glanced sideways at him; his brother was practically glowing at the sight of Coldstar. "They just stuck us with some other litter around the same age for the apprentice ceremony."

Coldstar's gaze was icy; emotionless. "And you were able to slip away from the SeaClan camp unnoticed?"

Tigerpaw nodded vigorously. "Yup. It was easy."

Coldstar was silent for a moment, his tail thumping on the ground rhythmically. "You've done well," he finally spoke, and Tigerpaw's chest puffed out with pride. Coldstar began to turn, his gaze lingering on Stormpaw before he headed towards camp.

"Come. We haven't got time to waste."

Tigerpaw immediately leaped to his paws to follow the retreating figure of their father, but Stormpaw hesitated. Why was he still afraid? So what, if his father had taken one of Sunstar's lives? He had more. He was still alive. And he was _sure _Sunstar had taken at least one of his father's lives before. So why did it still bother him?

"Hey," Sharpfang meowed sharply, snapping Stormpaw out of his reverie. He looked up to see the ginger tom standing a few tail-lengths away, glaring at him as the others continued to pad farther and farther away. "Are you coming? Or are you juts going to sit there all night long and waste everyone's time."

Stormpaw pushed himself to his paws and trotted after the others. At least he was going home.

It was still early in the night, and so a few warriors were still up and about by the time they got to camp. Stormpaw recognized Nightflower and Ivyfrost, talking in low tones over by the warrior's den. When they caught sight of them, however, Ivyfrost immediately leaped to her paws and slipped into the den. Nightflower watched them pass with wide green eyes.

The patrol went straight to their dens, Sharpfang shouldering Tigerpaw as he passed. The dark tabby apprentice sent the older warrior a glare, unsheathing his claws, and Stormpaw flicked his tail on his brother's flank as a warning not to start anything. His brother had not started a fight in SeaClan so far, so as not to draw too much attention to themselves, but here, where they didn't have to worry about causing suspicion, he wouldn't hold back.

"Don't start," he warned. Tigerpaw clenched his jaw and nodded slowly, his blue eyes flashing.

"Tigerpaw, Stormpaw," Coldstar meowed from ahead. He was standing in front of his den, looking over his shoulder at them. "We mustn't waste time."

Tigerpaw immediately padded into the den without a second thought, but Stormpaw lingered outside, staring into the dark mouth of the cave as it swallowed up his brother. Coldstar watched him, his face a mask of stone.

"Are you going to do what I say?" he meowed. "Or are you going to sit there until the sun comes up."

"Sorry," Stormpaw mewed, ducking his head a little as he hurried into the den. Coldstar's icy gaze followed him, and his pelt prickled with unease as he sat beside Tigerpaw in the center of the den, facing the wall where their father's nest lay. Coldstar padded from behind them, settling down in front of his nest. Even in the darkness of the den his icy eyes seemed to glow with a light of their own.

"So?" Tigerpaw questioned anxiously. "What's the next step? What do we do now? How are we-"

Coldstar raised his tail, silencing Tigerpaw. "All in due time," he meowed patiently. "But first, I must ask you a few questions."

"Yes, sir," Tigerpaw grumbled.

"Now." Coldstar's gaze flicked between his two sons, and once again Stormpaw averted his eyes to the ground, pretending to be interested in a dead leaf that had blown in from outside. "Tell me, who are your new mentors?"

"Adderstrike is mine," Tigerpaw stated, and Coldstar nodded slowly. He turned his gaze to Stormpaw, and he forced himself to lift his head and meet it.

"Reedwhisker," he mewed, and Coldstar's eyes suddenly hardened.

"Ah, Reedwhisker," he rumbled, and Stormpaw looked back at the ground. "I have respect for Adderstrike. He is an excellent fighter. But Reedwhisker…" His nose wrinkled, the corners of his lips lifting up to expose a row of glittering white teeth. "…He is a coward. Fish cat scum. He will get you nowhere."

Stormpaw's brow furrowed at this. He remembered the black tom's teasing grin as they'd trained earlier that day, and the ease in which he'd dodged his attacks. He'd trained Icestorm himself, and his Clan made him out to be a very admirable cat. Those were not the traits of a coward. So why was Coldstar showing obvious dislike for Reedwhisker? What had he done to make his father hate him so?

"The next time you come," Coldstar carried on, "you will train with cats that can actually fight. I need you strong, Stormpaw. These next few moons will be trying, and you need to be in top shape. I need _both _of you to be strong for this mission."

Stormpaw nodded slowly. He'd have to train harder if he was going to achieve that goal. Tigerpaw was already built like a sturdy, muscular tom, but Stormpaw did not inherit those traits from his father. He wasn't as strong or sturdy as his brother, being just a few claw-lengths shorter and not as broad. He was more nimble, like his mother.

"Have you made any friends in SeaClan?" Coldstar suddenly questioned, and Stormpaw lifted his head to look up at him, about to mention Skypaw, but Tigerpaw beat him to it.

"I'm sorta friends with Thornpaw," he meowed. "And Stormpaw's befriended Skypaw."

Coldstar nodded, and something flashed in his eyes. A small smile pricked at his lips, surprising Stormpaw. He looked almost…smug. "Ah, Icestorm's children," he rumbled. "You couldn't have picked better friends, my sons. Well done, both of you."

He felt a pang in his chest. Skypaw. She was his best friend, and here he was, sitting in the den of FogClan's feared leader, plotting their next move to destroy her Clan. What would she do, if she found out? Eventually, she would. And she'd be horrified. But…he had to do this. His father had told him before that everyone had to make sacrifices for the good of their Clan. This was just one of them.

And it wasn't like she was going to die.

"Tigerpaw, Stormpaw," Coldstar meowed, and Stormpaw could sense something coming. He was about to tell them the next part of their mission. Tigerpaw leaned in eagerly, and Stormpaw simply lifted his head higher, ears pricking forward as Coldstar carried on.

"I need you to find out how many lives Sunstar has left," Coldstar meowed slowly, as if he were making sure they understood what he was saying. "You _must _find out before you return in the next quarter moon. It is very important."

Stormpaw blinked, and Tigerpaw seemed to deflate a little, his shoulders sagging. "That's it?" he asked, his voice flat. "We just have to figure out how many lives Sunstar has left? That's _all _we have to do?" He sounded angry, like he had expected a huge, difficult task that could define the fate of the entire forest. Stormpaw had to admit, he'd expected something a little like that as well.

So why was he relieved?

"You're only apprentices," Coldstar pointed out. "Though you've had prior training, you are still not ready. However, I will tell you this. If Sunstar has more than one life left…" He paused, and both Tigerpaw and Stormpaw's ears pricked. Coldstar's eyes narrowed. "…You know what to do."

Stormpaw's heart dropped. Was his father implying that…they needed to takeone of Sunstar's lives? He'd never killed anyone before! Much less a _leader_!

Tigerpaw was grinning, and he could see the gears turning in his brother's head. Probably envisioning how he would do it…

"Now," Coldstar meowed. "Stormpaw, go wait outside. I need to speak to Tigerpaw alone."

"Really?" Tigerpaw perked, his blue eyes shining. Stormpaw felt his stomach drop. What did Coldstar need to tell Tigerpaw about that he couldn't hear? He turned to leave the den, a sinking feeling in his chest, as his father and brother watched him go.

He had a bad feeling about this.

* * *

><p>The moon was a little past the center of the sky when Stormpaw exited the den. It was colder outside, compared to the warmth of Coldstar's cave, and his breath puffed out in a cloud of steam in front of him. There were more cats outside now than there were when they'd first arrived. At least half of the warriors were now sitting around outside their den; bright eyes flashing at him from the shadows at the edge of camp. He tried to ignore their curious gazes, until he caught sight of a familiar black and white pelt; a cat sitting a little further away from the other warriors, his yellow eyes glittering in the darkness at him.<p>

"Ravenheart!" Stormpaw exclaimed happily, rushing toward the tom. Ravenheart stood, his teeth flashing in a warm smile as Stormpaw skidded to a halt in front of him, purring in relief and joy that the friendly tom was okay.

"Hello, young one," Ravenheart meowed warmly. "You've gotten bigger since the last time I saw you."

"I thought you'd died during the battle!" Stormpaw exclaimed. "You weren't moving at all!"

Ravenheart's smile faltered a little, and he sighed. "No, I didn't die. Though I came close. Those SeaClan cats really wanted you two back."

"Sorry about that," Stormpaw apologized, frowning. "If we hadn't come in the first place, you probably wouldn't have gotten hurt so badly."

Ravenheart flicked his tail dismissively. "Don't be sorry about that. You were concerned for your Clan, and you felt you had to warn us. And don't feel bad about me getting hurt. That's battle. And as a warrior, I'm used to it." He looked around for a moment, a puzzled look suddenly coming across his face. "Where's your brother?"

"Coldstar had to talk to him alone," Stormpaw grumbled, looking over his shoulder at the den. "I don't know what it's about…"

"Stormpaw." Ravenheart's tone had suddenly turned serious, and Stormpaw turned around to look up at him with wide, surprised eyes at the sudden change. The black and white tom's eyes were hard, and he felt a chill go up his spine.

"What is it?" he asked, cocking his head.

"You need to be strong, okay?" he meowed. "I know your father's plan, and some of it is…flawed. And I don't think he realizes it. What is to come will be incredibly difficult for you. Some of it I don't agree with. All I can say is that you need to endure, and be as strong as you possibly can."

Stormpaw nodded slowly, his eyes wide. "I will," he promised.

Ravenheart straightened, and he managed a smile. "Now, I must go back to my den and get some rest. You will be leaving soon, and I've had a long day. Goodbye, Stormpaw." He turned and began to pad away, back towards the warrior's den.

"Wait!" Stormpaw called as he remembered something, and Ravenheart stopped, turning to look at him questioningly. Stormpaw paused for a second, unsure, then spoke. "My mother...?"

Ravenheart shook his head. "I think it best you now speak to her now. I cannot explain why, I'm sorry."

Stormpaw nodded sadly. He hadn't seen his mother in moons. "Oh...Well, what about Hawkkit and Fawnkit?"

Ravenheart smiled proudly. "They have become apprentices now, but they are sleeping. You will be able to talk to them the next time you come, though."

Stormpaw was happy about that, at least. "Okay. Thanks, Ravenheart."

Ravenheart nodded and smiled warmly, before turning and disappearing into his den. For a moment, Stormpaw was left standing alone in the middle of the clearing, the frigid air chilling his veins and the eyes of his Clanmates staring out from the shadows at him. But then someone suddenly said his name from right behind him, causing him to jump a little.

He turned to see Coldstar and Tigerpaw. Their faces mirrored each other's; expressionless. And Stormpaw suddenly felt like the odd one out, out of the loop, alien...What was it that they had been talking about that he couldn't hear?

"Stormpaw," Coldstar meowed, his voice like ice. "It is time for you to go."

* * *

><p><em>I was always different from Tigerpaw. He was strong and proud and brave, and focused. He was exactly the cat my father wanted him to be, wanted me to be. But I wasn't like Tigerpaw. I was distracted easily. I wasn't on top of things, like I was supposed to. I was never fit to be a part of Coldstar's plan. I was nothing like my father, and that's why he didn't trust me like he did my brother. He thought I'd lose sight of the mission.<em>

_And I did. But he never could've known how much it would cost him._

* * *

><p><strong>Again, sorry for the wait!<strong>

**Uh-oh, what did Ravenheart mean by his plan is ''flawed''? Well, it's yours to guess. And why does Coldstar not like Reedwhisker? Find out...eventually! :)**

**Also, thanks for the reviews everybody! Special thanks to LegendaryHero, for their constructive critisim. It helped a lot! It's always good to get a few tips on how to better your story. Thanks!**

**Chapter 11 may take a while, guys. Sorry!**


	13. Initiation

**This chapter is just a cute little goody that is completely insignificant to the storyline and does nothing to further the plot at all. :D**

**But hey, it's cute! We're eleven chapters in and the story strikes me as just a tiny bit dark, with all the "Oh noes I gots to killz mah bestest frien an luhver!" and the "OMG mah daddy's a killah!" all the time. So, I added this chappy. And yes, I's hyper. :D**

**Sorry this took so long guys. But I **_**did **_**say that Chapter 11 would take a while in my last update. It's my longest one yet, so I hope you like!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 11<strong>

**~Initiation~**

"Rise and shine, rookies! Come on, off your butts. Today is a very important day, my friends. We haven't got time to loose!"

The den was filled with sleepy groans and muttering in response to Cloverpaw's shouting. Stormpaw groggily lifted his head to see her nudging Thornpaw to his feet, where he stood and gazed around dazedly. The other older apprentice, Bluepaw, was standing in the entrance to the den, looking on with an amused expression, dim sunlight filtering in from behind him.

Stormpaw felt something sharp jab against his side, and looked to the right to see Tigerpaw lying on his belly in an awkward, twisted position, one hindpaw sticking into Stormpaw's ribcage and his forelegs draped over his head in an attempt to block out Cloverpaw's shouts. Unfortunately, it was to no avail.

"Hey, up and at 'em, stripes! No time for beauty sleep," the small tabby she-cat meowed loudly, repeatedly prodding Tigerpaw's side. He grumbled something incoherent and lifted his head to give her a sleepy-eyed glare. She simply grinned and moved on to her next victim, which was Stormpaw.

"Come on, fluffy! You just gonna sit there and look at me? Get up!" She gave him a shove, and he clambered to his feet as she breezed past him, making sure every single sleepy kitty in the den was awake and alert. Skypaw padded over to Stormpaw, yawning. The fur on one side of her head was flattened from laying on it for so long. He chuckled at the sight, and she gave him a drowsy grin, oblivious to her appearance.

"You kittens awake yet?" Cloverpaw yelled, sitting in the entrance of the den.

"As we'll ever be…" Thornpaw grumbled, his mottled fur ruffled and unkempt from rolling around in his sleep. Cloverpaw just smiled down at him, her tail flicking in the air behind her.

"So, today is a very important day for all of you," the tabby she-cat mewed, her emerald gaze sliding between each and every one of them in turn. "Probably even the most important day of your entire _life_."

"And what would that be?" Tigerpaw mumbled, eyeing the she-cat skeptically.

Cloverpaw's eyes glinted mischievously in the dim light of the den. "Initiation," she whispered.

Stormpaw cocked his head in confusion. "Initiation?" he repeated. "What initiation?"

Behind Cloverpaw, Bluepaw shrugged. "Just a SeaClan tradition," he meowed coolly. "Everyone has to do it."

All the new apprentices exchanged skeptical glances, some a little worried. None of them had ever heard of initiation before; was it kept a secret from kits so it'd be a surprise whenever they became apprentices? And what happened if they didn't pass?

"And we have to do it soon," Bluepaw added. "I've got to go on the sunhigh patrol."

"Then there's no time to lose!" Cloverpaw purred, clearly excited at the prospect of "initiation". She jumped to her paws, her tail waving around in the air behind her in anticipation. "Prepare yourselves, rookies. Follow me!"

The tabby she-cat whipped around and sprinted out of the den, followed more slowly by Bluepaw. The apprentices all glanced around at each other once more, unsure of whether or not this was all some big joke, before Skypaw suddenly stood and ran after the older apprentices. Everyone else quickly followed her example, bounding out of the den and into the early morning light, their breaths puffing out in clouds of steam as they ran.

Stormpaw quickened his pace to catch up with Skypaw, who was running near the front.

"This is exciting, isn't it?" she mewed as he matched her pace beside her. "What do you think we're going to have to do? Do you think it'll be dangerous?"

"I hope not," Stormpaw meowed as they passed the Redrock. They began to slow as they neared the entrance tunnel, where Bluepaw's white-tipped tail was just disappearing through into the darkness between the rocks. "What I want to know is what will happen if we don't pass."

They ran straight through the entrance tunnel, the sound of pounding pawsteps on dirt echoing through the tiny space, determined to catch up to Cloverpaw and Bluepaw. When they exited the tunnel however, the two older apprentices were nowhere to be seen. Stormpaw looked around in confusion. Where did they go?

"Over here!" came a shout, and Stormpaw quickly looked to his right. Bluepaw was standing at the edge of the cliff that loomed over the ocean, waving his tail to them, but Cloverpaw was still nowhere in sight. Great StarClan! Had she fallen off the side of the cliff? He bounded toward cliffside, hoping that when he looked over the edge he wouldn't see the tabby she-cat's crumpled body at the bottom.

But Bluepaw looked calm when Stormpaw and Skypaw arrived at the cliff's edge, standing idly by the edge, his tail wrapped around his paws, as if the impossible height didn't even scare him.

"Where's Cloverpaw?" Skypaw asked, winded from running. The older apprentice was still absent.

"Hello up there!" a familial voice shouted from below, causing Stormpaw to jump. Bluepaw laughed as each of the apprentices leaned forward to peer, eyes wide with surprise, over the side of the cliff.

Cloverpaw stood just about three fox-lengths below them, on a rocky ledge that jutted out from the cliff, waving her tail at them. Stormpaw stared down at her, dumbfounded, and then his eyes slid to the right of her, at the ground many, many fox-lengths below.

He never could've guessed how high the cliff really was! It had to me more than a hundred tail-lengths to the bottom, where just a sliver of sandy beach separated the cliff from the never-ending ocean, glittering faintly in the early morning light. One miss-step and they'd fall to their deaths. He heard Skypaw gasp beside him.

"Well don't just stand there!" Cloverpaw shouted up at them, breaking Stormpaw out of his trance. "Come on!"

The apprentices watched, mouths agape, as Cloverpaw turned and began leaping from ledge to ledge, rock to rock, down towards the bottom of the cliff. It looked easy enough, but Stormpaw's eyes kept slipping past Cloverpaw, at the ground far below. If they slipped, they'd die.

"After you," Bluepaw meowed, gesturing for everyone to follow. He grinned as a spark of fear lit up in all of their eyes.

"You've got to be joking!" Thornpaw scoffed, his mouth hanging open in shock. "I'm not climbing down there! We'll fall!"

"Wuss," Tigerpaw muttered as he crouched, tensing his muscles, before leaping over the side of the cliff to the gasps of the others. He landed on a ledge just about three fox-lengths below, paws scrambling on the rocky ground, before his claws found a purchase and he stood shakily, readying himself for the next leap. The three remaining apprentices all looked at each other, eyes wide.

"Are you going or not?" Bluepaw queried, giving them all a pointed look. For a moment it was silent, before Skypaw stood and let out a shaky breath.

"I guess so," she meowed, then looked at Stormpaw. "Stormpaw?"

Stormpaw glanced to his right, down at the bottom of the cliff. Cloverpaw was almost down, and Tigerpaw was about halfway. He knew his brother wasn't the most agile cat in the world, so if he could do it, couldn't he?

He looked back at Skypaw. She was smaller, her muscles not as pronounced as his. She might have trouble clearing each leap. He had to be there to make sure she didn't fall. He took a deep breath.

"I'm with you."

Thornpaw watched, his mouth gaping open, as Skypaw and Stormpaw padded closer to the edge of the cliff, peering down at the first ledge. It was big enough to fit both of them, and there seemed to be enough cracks and ridges in it for them to get a decent claw hold. Stormpaw crouched beside Skypaw, his heart pounding, preparing to jump. It was a long way down…

"On three," Skypaw meowed, staring down at the ledge. "One…Two…THREE!"

Stormpaw sprang off the side of the cliff at the same moment Skypaw did, the ground disappearing beneath his paws. For a moment he was in free-fall; all he could see was the sea stretching out before him, a never-ending stretch of sparkling blue ocean. The wind whistled through his fur, cold and exhilarating, and for a split second it felt as if he were flying.

But then he came to a jarring stop as he dropped onto the ledge, his paws scrambling for a purchase on the rock for a moment before he found one and brought himself to a halt, his heart pounding in his chest. Just a half-second later Skypaw landed beside him, sliding downward a little before her claws hooked onto one of the cracks in the ledge. She pulled herself onto level ground and crouched there, eyes wide, then looked up at him.

"That was so cool!" she suddenly exclaimed, her face splitting into a huge grin. Stormpaw laughed, some of the tension in his muscles disappearing.

"It _was _pretty cool," he meowed, grinning.

"You both are crazy!" Thornpaw shouted from above. Stormpaw and Skypaw looked up to see him peering over the side of the cliff, his claws digging into the rock and his eyes wide with fear and surprise. Skypaw continued to laugh.

"You've got to come down sooner or later!" she called up at her brother.

He shook his head vigorously. "Not on your life!"

"What about initiation?" Stormpaw questioned him.

"You two keep going." Bluepaw appeared over the side of the cliff beside Thornpaw, looking a little annoyed. "I'll worry about Thornpaw."

Stormpaw nodded as the two apprentices disappeared from sight, and he and Skypaw were left on the ledge alone. He slowly turned around, careful not to slip or knock Skypaw off the cliff, and peered down at the ground far below.

Cloverpaw was sitting at the bottom, shouting something to Tigerpaw, who was almost there. The next ledge was closer, and not as far down. As he looked form ledge to ledge, he realized that none of them were as far or dangerous a leap as the first. This should be easy.

"I'll go first," Skypaw meowed, getting ready to jump. Stormpaw suddenly had the image of his best friend slipping off the side of the ledge, plummeting through the air to the ground many, many tail-lengths below. He shuddered.

"I'm right behind you," he meowed.

A second later Skypaw sprang off the ledge, dropping down onto the next one a fox-length below. Her claws immediately found a purchase, and she looked over her shoulder to grin at him. Stormpaw let out a sigh of relief, getting ready to jump as soon as she did.

It was a lot easier than it had seemed. Soon he and Skypaw were landing in leaping with ease, making their way down the side of the cliff where Cloverpaw and Tigerpaw waited at the bottom. The last ledge was about five tail-lengths from the ground, nearly twice as far a drop as the first ledge had been. But the sand cushioned his landing, and as soon as his paws hit the dirt Skypaw and Cloverpaw cheered.

Tigerpaw, however, was looking up at the cliff, his eyes squinted against the quickly brightening sunlight. "Where's Thornpaw?" he questioned, scrutinizing the cliffside for his friend.

"He chickened out," Skypaw meowed with a shrug. "Scared of heights, I guess."

"Bluepaw said he'd take care of him," Stormpaw added.

"They'll be down shortly," Cloverpaw meowed. "We'll just have to start without them. Come on."

The tabby she-cat turned and began running down the beach, and the rest of them quickly followed. The cliff loomed to their right, the ocean stretching away to their left as they ran, their paws kicking up sand behind them. The beach was slowly widening, and up ahead there was a bend in the cliff. There was a strange noise coming from the other side, and as they got closer it only got louder and more insistent. Stormpaw wondered what was around the corner, making that noise; what Initiation had in store for them.

As soon as they rounded the bend, however, the three young apprentices skidded to a halt, surprised at the sight before them.

Seagulls. _Lots _and _lots _of seagulls. There had to be hundreds of them, all squawking and traipsing around on the beach. Cloverpaw slowed to a stop ahead of them, turning around to give them a mischievous grin.

"Seagulls?" Stormpaw questioned, giving the tabby she-cat a ridiculed look.

"Yup," she mewed. "You all have to catch one."

Tigerpaw let out a harsh laugh. "Seriously? All we have to do is catch a seagull?" He shook his head, chuckling. "This is _too_ easy."

Cloverpaw gave a wry smile, then gestured with her tail towards the flock of seagulls. "All right, tough guy. If you think it's so simple, go ahead and show us how it's done. Just one seagull and you've passed Initiation."

Tigerpaw looked a little uncertain for a second, and Stormpaw didn't blame him. Catching a seagull looked easy enough, but something about the look in Cloverpaw's eyes made him doubt just how easy it really was. But then Tigerpaw scoffed, padding forward towards the flock confidently.

"Watch and learn," he said as he passed Cloverpaw, and her eyes glinted as she smiled.

"This is gonna be good," Skypaw whispered to him as they watched Tigerpaw crouch, stalking slowly towards the flock. He got closer and closer, and the seagulls seemed to pay him no mind, strutting around and making all kinds of noises. He seemed to have his target set on a seagull at the edge of the group, its back facing him. He stalked closer, and it really looked like he would be able to catch it.

The sound of thudding pawsteps suddenly came from behind them, and Stormpaw looked back to see Bluepaw and Thornpaw running up the beach toward them. Thornpaw was gaping at the huge mass of seagulls in front of him, but Bluepaw looked indifferent to them.

"You finally got him down?" Skypaw questioned, giving Thornpaw a smirk. He didn't notice, still staring at the seagulls.

"There are plenty of safer and easier ways down to the beach," Bluepaw explained. "All of you just took the closest one to camp."

"What's he doing?" Thornpaw queried, watching Tigerpaw's slow progress towards the flock.

"He's going to try to catch a seagull," meowed Stormpaw. "It's our Initiation."

"Really?" the mottled tom inquired, surprised.

Stormpaw nodded, then turned back to watch his brother. He had stopped, just a few tail-lengths away from his target, rocking on his haunches. He was grinning, sure that he was going to catch it, and it looked like he would.

And then he leaped.

High-pitched squawks rang out from the seagulls nearest to Tigerpaw, and they all took flight immediately, flapping their wings and pecking at the intruder in a bid to get away. At first, Tigerpaw fought back, lashing out at the seagulls and bucking to shake them off. But each blow missed, and soon Tigerpaw was crouching on the ground, screaming.

"_Ah! Ah! Ah! Get 'em off me! Get 'em off me!"_ he shrieked, completely hidden from sight by the seagulls attacking him.

Cloverpaw was on the ground laughing, Skypaw doing something similar. For a moment Stormpaw was shocked at the sight of his big bad brother being brought down by a bunch of birds, but then he joined them in their laughter as the seagulls took off and landed farther down the beach, continuing on with their day as if nothing had happened.

Tigerpaw was curled up on the ground with his nose buried in the sand, the fur along his spine sticking straight up and his paws over his head. Realizing he was no longer under attack, he slowly poked his head up and looked around, blue eyes wide as the moon.

Cloverpaw strutted past him, smirking. "Let me show you how it's done," she meowed to all of them. Tigerpaw narrowed his eyes in a glare, furious and humiliated.

The tabby she-cat padded forward a little, toward the seagulls. Stormpaw expected her to crouch and stalk forward like Tigerpaw had, but she did just the opposite. She kicked off the ground and bounded towards the seagulls at full speed, sand flying up behind her and her tail streaming.

This time, the seagulls didn't attack. They took flight, squawking and hurrying to escape. Cloverpaw did a flying leap into the air, her powerful hind legs propelling her high into the mass of fleeing seagulls. Her claws flashed out, hooking onto one bird's wings as it tried to fly away, and she came crashing back down to the ground, landing on her back in the sand. The seagull flapped and shrieked for a moment, until Cloverpaw sank her teeth into its neck and it fell still. Stormpaw gaped at her in amazement.

"Cool!" Thornpaw exclaimed from beside him, his eyes sparkling.

"I've never seen anybody jump that high before!" Skypaw added, her eyes wide in amazement as Cloverpaw strode toward them, carrying the seagull proudly. Tigerpaw was still fuming as he stormed back towards them, his ears flat and his eyes narrowed.

"It's important that you not target a certain seagull," Bluepaw explained as Cloverpaw dropped her catch at their feet. "And that you run at them rather than ambush them. When seagulls are startled, they attack to get away. When they see you coming, they take flight. The trick is just jumping high enough to catch one."

"That's great," Stormpaw meowed, impressed. Anyone that could one-up Tigerpaw and manage to humiliate him at the same time was all right with him. _Somebody _needed to beat down his brother's arrogance when it got too out of hand, and Cloverpaw accomplished that with flying colors.

"Now all of you have to try," Bluepaw meowed. "Catch one and you pass Initiation."

"I say we have a race," Skypaw suggested, grinning mischievously. "Let's see who can catch one first, huh?"

"Great idea!" Cloverpaw laughed. "Bluepaw and I will judge. Last ones to catch a seagull cleans out the elder's den for a week."

"Deal!" Skypaw meowed cheerfully.

Stormpaw shrugged. "I'm in."

"Me too!" Thornpaw exclaimed.

"I'm going to win this time!" Tigerpaw declared, and Stormpaw rolled his eyes. His ego was back with a vengeance.

Cloverpaw and Bluepaw stood to the side to watch, and the tabby she-cat started the count-down as everyone lined up and prepared to take off.

"Ready…Set…_Go_!"

Stormpaw kicked off the ground and sped down the beach. Skypaw was slightly ahead of him, her fur flattened against her body as she ran, and Tigerpaw and Thornpaw- the two brawns- lagged behind. It was exhilarating- running down the beach as fast as his paws could carry him, the chilly wind whistling through his fur. The sun had finally risen from behind the cliff wall and shone down on the beach, warming the sand and lighting up the ocean like a brilliant flame. Skypaw let out a bubbling laugh, just as invigorated as he was.

As soon as the seagulls spotted them they took flight, squawking and flapping up into the air around them. Stormpaw leaped a little too late, and his claws flashed through empty air. He twisted in the air just in time to avoid landing on his back, but the impact was still jarring. He watched as the seagulls moved farther down the beach and settled there, away from the pesky cats.

"I almost had it!" Thornpaw exclaimed from somewhere behind him, and Stormpaw could see that no one had caught a seagull this time. Thornpaw looked dejected, Tigerpaw was angry, and Skypaw looked just as lively as she had been when they were running.

"Try again!" Cloverpaw called from back down the beach as she and Bluepaw ran toward them.

"Come on, Stormpaw!" Skypaw laughed, already beginning to run toward the seagulls. "We need to catch one before Tigerpaw does!"

"In your dreams!" Tigerpaw shouted, sprinting down the beach toward the flock.

"Let's go!" Skypaw called, then took off after Tigerpaw. Stormpaw laughed, having the time of his life, and quickly followed suit.

He caught up to Skypaw easily, and they ran, side by side, down the beach toward the seagulls. They quickly passed Tigerpaw, running at either side of him, and the dark tabby let out a furious growl as he and Skypaw easily surpassed him and left him spitting out the sand they kicked up as they passed.

They were going much faster now. The seagulls scattered away from them, taking wing as soon as they saw the threat. White and black feathers fluttered in the air and brushed against Stormpaw as he leaped, wings beating in his ears along with the lyrical sound of Skypaw's laughter from beside him. He felt his claws hook into something soft, and he came crashing down to the ground on his back, landing with a grunt. He could hear the squawks of a seagull in his ear, and he looked up to see his claws hooked into one of its wings.

And on the other side of the seagull, Skypaw stared at him with her claws hooked into its other wing.

They both broke into a fit of laughter, the seagull struggling between them.

"Oh, wow!" Cloverpaw exclaimed as she and Bluepaw arrived beside them. "You caught the same seagull!"

"I _think _that counts…" Bluepaw mused as Cloverpaw bent and quickly killed the seagull. "But I'm not sure…"

"Of course it counts!" Cloverpaw laughed. "They both caught it; they'll just have to share!"

"Share?" Stormpaw questioned, cocking his head.

"The Initiation seagull is important in SeaClan," Bluepaw explained. "You pluck its feathers and use them in your nests. I guess you'll just have to share its feathers."

"That's fine with me!" Skypaw meowed, smiling at Stormpaw happily.

"Congratulations, Stormpaw and Skypaw!" Cloverpaw suddenly bellowed, her voice ringing out over the beach and causing the seagulls farther away to scatter. Skypaw laughed. "You have caught your first seagull! I now deem you both as _true_ members of SeaClan!"

"May StarClan light your path!"

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! Done! :D<strong>

**Well, that took forever. I hope you liked Bluepaw, Cloverpaw, and Thornpaw. If any of you are wondering, Rosepaw isn't there because she's the medicine cat apprentice, and so Initiation doesn't really matter for her. **

**Sorry this took so long. Chapter 12 may take a while, too. :P**

**P.S: I have a new story out! It's called Whisper. I just have the prologue out right now, and I can't update again until I have five reviews. I only have four right now. :P Please check it out!**

**Thanks!**


	14. Plan

**I know its taking me longer and longer to update, and I'm sorry. These past few weeks have been pretty busy. Also, I only got six reviews on my last chapter. I was feeling kind of discouraged…hence the long wait for Chapter 12. Sorry!**

**For those of you who are wondering, Tigerpaw didn't show up the others in Initiation because he was only trained in fighting, not hunting. Also, he is FogClan. He was not born to catch seagulls or fish in the sea, but to stalk mice and squirrels through dense undergrowth. Sorry I didn't elaborate on that. :(**

**Anyway, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 12<strong>

**~Plan~**

The sun floated in the very center of the cloudless sky as Stormpaw and the other apprentices padded back into camp. The early morning chill had been replaced by warm rays of sunshine and a fresh, gentle breeze, signifying that Newleaf was well on is way. Stormpaw's jaws were locked around one of the wings of his prize, the seagull he and Skypaw had caught about an hour before, while the other wing was clamped in the white she-cat's teeth as she padded beside him. The seagull hung limp between them for all to see.

Tigerpaw had caught his own seagull soon after Stormpaw and Skypaw had, but he had not been happy at all since he'd lost the race. He trudged at the back of the group, ears flat and blue eyes narrowed, pouting. Two blows to his ego in one day? A new record. He'd be grumpy for a while.

"Well, done!" a familiar voice meowed. Stormpaw looked up to see his mentor padding towards them, his midnight fur glistening in the bright afternoon sunshine.

"Hello, Reedwhisker!" he greeted, his voice muffled as he lifted the bird higher for him to see. "We just got back from Initiation."

"So I see," the black tom chuckled, looking between Stormpaw and Skypaw. "Which one of you caught the seagull?"

"We both did!" Skypaw exclaimed, her mouth full of feathers. Reedwhisker laughed.

"Did you, huh? I don't think that's ever happened before. At least not in my time," he meowed, beaming down at them. "I'm very proud of both of you." Stormpaw felt something stir in his chest, a feeling he couldn't quite place. Reedwhisker was…proud of him? He had never heard those words before. His father had never spoken them. Not even his mother ever had. It was almost as strange as when Coldstar had called him his son…

"Well, I need to get going on the sunhigh patrol soon. I'm sure they are waiting for me," Reedwhisker said as he began to pad away, leaving the two apprentices behind. But then he suddenly stopped beside Stormpaw, flashing him a warm smile. "By the way, Stormpaw, why don't you rest today? I think learning to catch a seagull is training enough."

Stormpaw perked, surprised. "Thanks!"

Reedwhisker nodded, then turned to join the rest of the sunhigh patrol at the entrance of camp.

"Come on, Stormpaw!" Skypaw meowed around the seagull's wing. "We need to pluck the feathers off this thing for our nests. Bluepaw said it takes a while."

Stormpaw nodded, turning to head towards the apprentice's den with Skypaw, when someone roughly shouldered into his side. He dropped the seagull's wing as Tigerpaw padded past, then turned and glared back at Stormpaw, his blue eyes hard as ice.

"We need to talk," he muttered, his voice low.

"And you need to learn some manners," Skypaw grumbled, letting the seagull's other wing drop to the ground.

Tigerpaw's icy eyes slid over to the she-cat, and his lips peeled back into a snarl. Skypaw looked a little taken aback, surprised by the menace in Tigerpaw's gaze. The dark tabby's eyes slowly reverted back to Stormpaw, narrowing slightly.

"_Now_," he growled.

Stormpaw turned to look at Skypaw, who was giving him a pleading look. He knew she didn't want him to leave her for Tigerpaw like he had done those three moons ago, but…He looked back at his brother's icy stare, how they seemed to command that he follow him, and he sighed and lowered his gaze to the ground.

"Go ahead and start plucking the feathers without me," Stormpaw meowed without looking at his friend. "I'll be there in a minute."

For a moment it was silent; he could feel Skypaw's eyes burning into the side of his head, and then he heard her angry sigh, saw out of the corner of his eye her bend and pick up the seagull. He listened to her quickly turn away, her swift pawsteps fading as she marched into the apprentice's den. Stormpaw's eyes stayed locked on the ground the entire time.

"Come on." Tigerpaw turned and padded in the opposite direction, towards the same place where they'd played as kits; where he'd first tried to show Skypaw how to fight. She was mad at him…again. StarClan, why did he have to keep _doing_ that?

Why did _Tigerpaw_ keep doing that?

"What was that all about?" Stormpaw demanded as soon as they were behind the bush and out of sight from the rest of the Clan. "That was completely uncalled for. Why do you always have to be so rude to everyone? You-"

"You need to stop hanging out with Skypaw."

Stormpaw's mouth fell open in shock at Tigerpaw's words. His brother was staring at him levelly, his face completely deadpan. For a moment it was silent, neither one moving or saying anything, when suddenly Stormpaw felt the anger rise in his chest and his ears pinned back against his head.

"What are you talking about?" he hissed. "_You're_ the one that said we should be friends!"

"She's distracting you from the mission," Tigerpaw growled back. "We have one week to figure out how many lives Sunstar has, and today you acted like you'd forgotten you even _had_ a mission. You were too busy catching seagulls!"

Stormpaw's fur bristled. This was the angriest he'd felt in a long time. Possibly the angriest he'd ever felt. "You were catching seagulls, too! It was Initiation!"

"_Initiation?"_ Tigerpaw scoffed. "Initiation for _what_, exactly? A Clan you'll never be a part of? A Clan that would turn around and rip your throat out if they knew just who you truly were? You're the son of the leader of FogClan, for StarClan's sake! Or have you forgotten that? Do you not remember the last thing he said to us before we came here?"

Stormpaw jerked his head away, glaring at the ground beside him. Of course he remembered. He remembered the way his father's eyes flashed as he told them probably the most meaningful thing he ever had, and ever would.

_"No matter what happens, no matter where you are, what you're doing, or who you're with, you will always be a FogClan cat. And you will always be my sons. Remember that."_

Stormpaw closed his eyes, shutting out the memory.

"I know what he said…" he meowed, calmer now than he was before. He lifted his head to look back at Tigerpaw, whose eyes were narrowed into angry slits. "…And I haven't forgotten the mission. But…I'm not going to stop being friends with Skypaw. She's not a distraction, and I'll never let her become one. I…I promise."

Stormpaw gazed evenly at Tigerpaw, his stare unwavering. His brother looked at him for a moment, his ears still pinned back against his head and his eyes narrowed, before he sighed and relaxed, shaking his head at Stormpaw.

"Fine," he meowed, a little skeptically. "But you'd better keep your promise. FogClan needs you more than she does."

Stormpaw felt a pang in his chest. "I will."

"Good." Tigerpaw's fur laid down flat again, and the fire faded from his eyes as he looked back at his brother. He smiled, but to Stormpaw it looked forced. "Now, we have to make a plan on how to figure out how many lives Sunstar has left. Any ideas?"

Stormpaw shook his head. "Not a clue."

Tigerpaw sighed, frustrated. Stormpaw hadn't really given much thought on what they were going to do about the assignment Coldstar had given them the night before. And it was a difficult one. They couldn't just walk up to Sunstar and ask him how many lives he had left. But really that seemed like the only way they'd ever figure it out…

"How about we just sleep on it? We're bound to figure something out sooner or later," Stormpaw meowed. "And we still have a week left. There's plenty of time."

"Agreed," Tigerpaw said, giving a nod. "We'll talk about it in the morning. Right now I have to go clean out the elder's den."

Stormpaw chuckled to himself as Tigerpaw turned to leave. He pictured his brother gathering up the dirty moss while the elderly cats of the Clan berated him for disturbing their sleep, or asking him to get a tick off the base of their tails. It was a funny image. Tigerpaw stopped and glared when he heard him, however.

"What?"

"Nothing," Stormpaw meowed, then chuckled again. Tigerpaw's eyes narrowed further.

"Go pluck your bird," he grumbled, then padded away.

* * *

><p>Stormpaw stood in front of the apprentice's den, his paws frozen in place. Skypaw was in there…and she was probably still mad at him. He sighed, hanging his head. He wished she could understand. He'd had to go with Tigerpaw. Like his brother had said, they couldn't afford distractions.<p>

With that in mind, Stormpaw steeled himself, then padded inside.

All conversation between Skypaw and Rosepaw stopped as soon as Stormpaw entered. The two she-cats sat facing each other in the back of the den, a half-feathered seagull lying between them. Skypaw stared down at the bird while Rosepaw smiled half-heartedly at him.

"Hello, Stormpaw," she mewed quietly.

Skypaw said nothing.

Stormpaw sighed. "Hi, Rosepaw," he meowed, padding further into the den. He walked right over to where the two she-cats sat and stood over them, looking down solemnly at the sleek white she-cat he had learned to call his best friend.

"Hey, Skypaw," he meowed.

Skypaw clamped a few of the seagull's feathers in her teeth, then roughly pulled them out.

"Well…" Rosepaw stood slowly, her eyes flicking uncertainly between Skypaw and Stormpaw. "I'm going to go, uhhh…back to the medicine cat den, um…I'll see you later."

"Bye," Stormpaw meowed, still looking down at Skypaw. She refused to meet his gaze, instead placing the feathers in her nest beside her. Rosepaw quickly exited the den without another word. It was just the two of them now.

Stormpaw took Rosepaw's place across from Skypaw and sat down. The she-cat still refused to look at him, staring down at the bird instead. Neither of them said anything for a moment, until Skypaw finally broke the silence.

"You did it again," she muttered quietly.

Stormpaw sighed. "I know. I'm sorry."

Skypaw finally looked up at him, and he was surprised to see that it was not anger in her eyes, but sadness. "You can't let him push you around like that, Stormpaw," she meowed. "He's your brother, not your leader. You don't always have to do what he says, you know."

Stormpaw looked down, at the bird with half its feathers missing. "I do know that. It's just…he really did need to talk to me."

Skypaw gave him a look. "And was it really important enough that it absolutely couldn't wait until after we plucked this seagull's feathers?"

Stormpaw said nothing, staring at the bird guiltily. He heard Skypaw sigh.

"Just promise me you won't do it again," she meowed. "Promise me that you won't do everything your brother says from now. Promise me that you'll be your own cat, and not your brother's shadow." Stormpaw finally lifted his head to look at her, into her clear blue eyes that reminded him so much of the ocean. He let out a breath, then slowly nodded.

"I promise," he said.

Skypaw smiled. "Good," she meowed, her tone much lighter than it had been a few moments ago. She pushed the half-feathered seagull towards him. "Now get plucking."

Stormpaw laughed, and the two of them got to work- him pulling the feathers off the seagull and her weaving them into their nests. They slipped into the easy conversation they'd always been able to have together; smiling, laughing, and playfully teasing each other. Like it had always been.

Easy.

* * *

><p>The day was somewhere in the middle of sunhigh and sunset by the time they were done plucking all the feathers off the bird and had woven each one into their nests. Eagleheart took Skypaw out for a training session, Rosepaw was off learning where different herbs grow with Willowsong, and Tigerpaw was still cleaning the elder's den with Thornpaw. So, with nothing else to do, Stormpaw picked up the featherless seagull and carried it into the nursery.<p>

Echostep was grooming herself in her nest at the back of the den, smoothing down the silver fur on her chest. Her belly was swollen with Adderstrike's kits, and Stormpaw realized that she would be kitting soon. Probably in the next two or three weeks.

"Oh! Hello, Stormpaw," she she-cat greeted when she noticed him standing there. Her emerald eyes slid down to the bird in his jaws. "Is that for me? That's your initiation seagull, isn't it though?"

Stormpaw nodded, padding further into the den and dropping the bird in front of Echostep. "Yes, it is. I brought it for you."

Echostep smiled graciously. "Well thank you, Stormpaw. Though, it is custom in SeaClan that you eat your own initiation seagull…"

"I'm not really hungry," Stormpaw meowed with a shrug. "Skypaw and I caught it together, and she's out training with Eagleheart. So I came to see if you wanted it. Also, I figured you might want some company, seeing as you're all alone in here most of the time. It must get lonely."

"How nice of you, Stormpaw," Echostep purred. "But I won't be lonely for long." She gazed down fondly at her swollen belly, her green eyes swimming with warmth and love for her unborn kits. Stormpaw felt a twinge in his heart at the sight. Did his mother ever look at him like that? He couldn't remember her ever doing that. She'd been nice enough, but…had she ever really loved him?

"Well, I uhh…I'm gonna go now," Stormpaw meowed uncomfortably, turning to leave. "Bye."

"It was good to talk to you again, Stormpaw," Echostep mewed kindly. "Thank you for coming to see me."

Stormpaw gave a terse nod and quickly exited the den.

Now he was at a loss. What could he possibly do until Skypaw got done with training? Or until Tigerpaw finished cleaning out the elder's den? He padded aimlessly through the camp, thinking of ways to pass the time. He could go down to the beach and practice catching seagulls, or battle train on his own outside…

Stormpaw looked up as something at the edge of his vision caught his eye. The sunhigh patrol was coming back through the entrance tunnel, and by the way Icestorm padded purposely towards Sunstar's den above the Redrock told him that they had found something bad. Interested, he hurried over to Reedwhisker as his mentor walked into camp.

"What happened?" he inquired, looking up at the black tom questioningly.

Reedwhisker's brow was creased in something that looked like worry, but he could tell that he was trying to hide it. "We scented foxes in the northern part of our territory," he meowed. "Two or three, maybe even four."

Stormpaw's eyes widened in alarm. "Foxes? Will they come this way?"

Reedwhisker shook his head quickly. "No. They'll probably just pass right on through our territory. As long as we don't bother them, they won't hurt us." He looked up at the Redrock, where Icestorm had disappeared into the leader's den. "Sunstar will probably hold a meeting with more of the details."

As if on cue, the massive golden tabby appeared on the top of the Redrock. Icestorm padded out behind him, leaping down from the rock to seat himself at the bottom.

"Let all cats old enough to fish in the sea join here beneath the Redrock for a Clan meeting!"

Reedwhisker padded towards the crowd gathering beneath Sunstar, flicking his tail for him to follow. Stormpaw joined his mentor near the front of the group, tilting his head back so he could see the SeaClan leader.

When all the cats were assembled, Sunstar began.

"I've just been informed that there are a group of foxes near the northern border of our territory," he meowed, his voice carrying throughout the entire camp. "Until a patrol scouts the area to be sure that the foxes have gone, no one may be allowed to hunt in that part of the territory."

"What if they're still there?" someone asked near the back of the crowd. Stormpaw couldn't be sure who it was.

"Then we will drive them out," Sunstar answered, and his voice hardened as he added, "Foxes have caused enough trouble in our territory over the last few moons. We're not going to let any more come anywhere near our camp."

Stormpaw's eyes slid over to Mistflower, whose head was bowed and her blue eyes unfocused. She was probably remembering her kit, the one who'd been killed by a fox before Stormkit and Tigerkit had arrived in SeaClan three moons ago.

"I will send out a patrol tomorrow morning," Sunstar finished, and leaped down from the Redrock. The crowd began to dissipate, each cat going their own way. Stormpaw looked up at Reedwhisker.

"Do you think I could be on the patrol?" he questioned hopefully. He'd never seen a fox before, and he'd never been on a patrol either.

Reedwhisker shook his head. "No. Foxes are very dangerous, Stormpaw. An adult one could easily severely injure or kill a grown warrior, much less an apprentice. Even Sunstar would have trouble if there's more than one." The black tom yawned, his eyes blinking sleepily. "Well, I'm going to go take a short nap. Good-bye, Stormpaw," he meowed, then padded off towards the warrior's den.

But Stormpaw didn't hear the last part of what Reedwhisker had said. He was staring at the spot where his mentor had been standing, eyes wide.

_"Even Sunstar would have trouble if there's more than one…"_

He had a plan.

* * *

><p><em>Of course I remember that day.<em>

_I regret everything about it. I regret looking for ways to harm another cat. I regret that it was even something that I wasn't bothered about doing. I regret leaving Skypaw when she didn't want me to go. I regret making promises that I knew, even then, that I would fail to keep…_

_It may not seem like it now, but that day was the real turning point. If I could change any day of my life, it'd be that one. Because from then on, everything, every mistake I would make and life I would destroy, would be a result of everything I _didn't_ do that day._

_The promises I should have made._

* * *

><p><strong>Ah, finished. My chapters keep getting longer and longer don't they?<strong>

**So, what do you think of Chapter 12? Can you figure out what Stormpaw's plan is? It definitely has something to do with foxes. And what do you think of the narration at the end? Review, and tell me what you think!**

**For all of you that have been asking for action these last few chapters, I'm sure you'll like Chapter 13. ;)**

**Oh yeah! I also have _another_ story out, but it's not on my profile. It's on my sister, Fading Eclipse's, profile. It's an AU parody that we co-authored together, and it's on my favorites list if you want to check it out. Warning: It is extremely odd. :D**

**Thanks!**


	15. Letter to Readers

Dear Readers,

So, so sorry. You probably saw this at the front of the Warriors Archive and thought, "Ooh, yay! Another chapter!" and are now disappointed that it's just a stupid Author's Note. I apologize if that is the case. I know I'm not the fasted updater in the world, so I hate to do this. :(

Chapter 13 won't be in for another week. I've been rushing to get it done for the past few days, but I've run out of time. I'm going on a camping trip with my family before school starts, and I'm going to a place where wifi is, sadly, nonexistent. I am bringing my laptop with me however, so I can finish typing up the chapter and have it done before I get back. So, I should have the next chapter up sometime around next Monday.

So sorry about this. I hope you all don't desert me! D:

~Dawnfrost96


	16. Letter to Readers II

Dear Readers,

...Hi.

So, yeah, I know it's been a couple months since I last updated my story with the explanation that I was going on vacation. Yes, I did go on vacation, and I worked on Chapter 13 while I was gone, just like I said, but…

Okay, there's really no excuse for deserting ya'll like that. Really, it pained me to see my story die. I guess it was sort of a combination of writer's block, starting my sophomore year in high school and therefore staying after school 'till eight o'clock in the evening working on extracurricular and other projects, and that I was having a couple family issues that interfered with my writing. I guess you could say "life" got in the way. But I've somehow managed to somewhat rid myself of the writer's block, my schedule's cleared itself out a bit so I can be home more often, and I think I have those family issues sorted out now so that I can finally concentrate doing what I love, writing, and stop feeling sorry for myself. :/

So, I'm going to try to pick up where I left off. I don't know how many of ya'll will come back to read and review my story after so long, but I promised in one of my earlier chapters that I would finish this story, and I say again that I will, no matter how long it takes. I just hope that ya'll can forgive me. :(

Hope you still like.

~Dawnfrost


	17. Trap

**Again, I have to say that I'm terribly sorry for the wait. This chapter is LONG overdue, and I hope I haven't completely forgotten how to write a good, detailed, suspenseful chapter that you'll all enjoy. Sorry, it's a little shorter than my last chapters.**

**I can only hope you like.**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 13<strong>

**~Trap~**

"Are you sure about this?" Thornpaw meowed uneasily as he padded along behind Stormpaw and Tigerpaw through the sparse undergrowth of SeaClan's forest. "What if we get attacked?" The brothers both turned their heads to look at him, Tigerpaw's face splitting into a mocking grin.

"What, are you scared?" he teased with a smirk. "Don't be such a wuss, Thornpaw."

Thornpaw's dark emerald eyes flashed at the taunt, the fur rising up along his spine. "I'm not scared!" he protested, tail lashing indignantly.

"We're not going to be attacked," Stormpaw assured, shooting Tigerpaw a glare. "We're being extra careful. Once we find the foxes' scent, we'll locate the patrol and tell them where it is. Once they see what good trackers we are, they'll make us warriors in no time!" He was lying, of course. They had to make sure Thornpaw was with them on this, as he was a big part of the plan. Perhaps he was pushing it a little to far with that last part, though…However, he didn't think the mottled tom would catch on. He wasn't exactly the sharpest stone on the beach…

Sure enough, Thornpaw's eyes lit up and he grinned hopefully. "You really think so? You aren't just messing with me?"

Stormpaw felt a pang of regret at the tom's tone. His hopes would be dashed for sure after this little expedition. Still…they had to focus on the big picture. That was more important. "I know so," he answered with a forced smile.

"Besides," Tigerpaw added, leaping up onto a tree that had fallen on their path. He turned and looked down at them, his blue eyes flashing in the dim morning light filtering through the canopy of trees above them. "We wouldn't mess with you. Why would we do that?" He grinned, and his fangs glittered through the half-darkness.

Stormpaw frowned up at his brother, but Thornpaw looked convinced. "Can't think of any reason," he meowed. "Can we hurry up and find the foxes' scent now?"

Tigerpaw laughed. "That's more like it. Just follow me and we'll find it in no time."

The dark tom leaped to the other side of the log, out of sight. Thornpaw immediately scrambled after him, as eager as ever, but Stormpaw hung back. Now that they had put their plan into effect, he wasn't so sure if it would work. Their little scheme wasn't exactly foolproof. It was half strategy, half luck. It could really go either way. It all depended on if they could find the foxes before the patrol did. And on how fast they could run.

Stormpaw sighed. What was he getting himself into?

* * *

><p>Half an hour's dull trudging through SeaClan's meager forest brought them nothing. The sun had reached the center of the sky, big, puffy clouds skirting across the horizon like frightened mice.<p>

"What if the patrol already found the foxes and chased them off?" Thornpaw questioned, balancing precariously on the top of a tall rock as Tigerpaw sniffed at the base. The tabby tom growled in irritatino, then slashed at the dirt with sharpened claws. A few leaves flew up into Thornpaw's face, causing him to loose his balance and topple over the side of the rock with a shriek. He glared up at Tigerpaw from a pile of dead leaves, more floating down around him.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

"That's the fourth time you've asked that question!" Tigerpaw answered, tail lashing in irritation. "Don't you know how to shut that big mouth of yours? Stars, you're annoying!"

Thornpaw opened his mouth to say something, but Stormpaw quickly shushed him by flicking his tail over his muzzle. "Maybe the reason we haven't found the foxes yet is because you two won't stop bickering. _Honestly. _Can't you two just be quiet for ten minutes?"

Thornpaw pouted, casting a sideways glare at Tigerpaw. "He started it," he grumbled, and the cat in question rolled his eyes.

Stormpaw huffed, shaking his head at the immature comment. In truth, he was about as worried as Thornpaw was. They should have found the foxes by now, or at least come across a scent. At this rate, they might never find the foxes before the patrol did, if they were even going in the right direction. They'd have to devise an entirely new plan. Maybe one that didn't involve so much guesswork…

Stormpaw's fur ruffled the wrong way as the wind suddenly changed direction. He shivered with the cool breeze, surprised by the sudden shift. Leaf-bare was almost over. Shouldn't it be getting _warmer?_

And then the scent hit him.

Pain shot through his shoulder as a flash of red suddenly burst into his vision. He spun sideways, propelled by the force of the blow, and collided with a rock before he even had time to shout out a warning to the others. He heard Thornpaw shriek as he gasped for breath, his head swimming. Dark spots clouded his vision.

He heard a ferocious snarl. The pounding of many paws met his ears.

Foxes.

"Run!"

He felt sharp teeth close around his scruff, and for a moment Stormpaw felt pure terror shoot through him as he thought that one of the foxes had grabbed him, about to rip him open at any second. But then he saw a flash of dark tabby fur, and icy blue eyes flashed through his vision, alight with fear and determination.

"_Go! Go! Go! Go!_" Tigerpaw shouted as he ran. Stormpaw stumbled to keep from falling over as his brother dragged him along until the dark spots disappeared from his vision and he could breathe again.

He tore away from his brother, barely managing to choke out the words, "Thornpaw! Get Sunstar!"

Stormpaw could see the mottled tom running further ahead of them- saw him turn his head to look back, eyes wide with fear. Thornpaw nodded, then suddenly he veered off and disappeared into the underbrush. Leaves rustled as one fox broke off from the others and followed suit. Stormpaw prayed that he wouldn't be caught.

"Climb!" Tigerpaw suddenly shouted from right beside him. A tree reared up in his vision, and Stormpaw barely leaped in time, his claws stretching out ahead of him as if he were trying to catch a seagull. He collided with a tree painfully, rough bark scarping across his face, as his outstretched claws sank into the trunk. With the agility that only FogClan cats had, Stormpaw clawed his way up the tree and onto a thick branch. Tigerpaw's fur brushed against him, and he knew that they were safe.

For now.

Far below, _five _foxes paced at the bottom of the trunk, snarling and slashing at the base of the tree. Not three, not four, but _five. _And one was chasing Thornpaw. That made _six _foxes. Two more than Reedwhisker had predicted there were.

They weren't prepared for this.

"Tigerpaw…" Stormpaw looked at his brother, and he could see that he was thinking the same thing.

"Well…I guess this makes it a little harder, huh?" the tabby tom meowed, and even managed to crack a smile. Stormpaw scoffed.

"Yeah, a little? Tigerpaw…a lot more cats could get hurt than we wanted. What if_ too_ many get hurt, or even…killed?"

Tigerpaw stared down at the foxes below. He was still smiling. "Well, the more the merrier." When Stormpaw looked shocked at this, the tabby tom looked at him and laughed. "They're just fish cats, Stormpaw. Even if we don't figure out how many lives Sunstar has left, we'll still manage to put half of SeaClan's warriors in the medicine den." He smiled, staring down at the snapping jaws of the foxes below. "I can't wait to tell Thrushpaw and Swiftpaw about this. They'll be _so _jealous."

Stormpaw felt bile rise in his throat. _What? _What was that supposed to mean? What they were doing was for the good of their Clan, even though it was a grim, nasty affair. It was their _duty._ It wasn't for _enjoyment, _or…or _bragging rights. _

"Tigerpaw…" Stormpaw meowed, his voice barely above a whisper. "These are _cats._"

"_Fish _cats," Tigerpaw corrected with a sigh. "There's a difference."

Stormpaw felt sick.

"What about Thornpaw?" he meowed, desperate to convince Tigerpaw that these were cats, too. "You said he was your friend. And Adderstrike, he's your mentor! And Mistflower, too. She's taken care of us all these moons. Can you really forget all of that?"

Tigerpaw rolled his eyes, turning to face Stormpaw on the branch. "Look, Stormpaw. The mission is all that matters. Sure, Mistflower took care of us, but she's not our mother, and Father's been planning this since before we were born. And Adderstrike is _not _my real mentor. Father is. And as for Thornpaw…" He snickered. "With how annoying he is, he can be eaten by the foxes for all I care."

Stormpaw's ears pinned back against his head, eyes widening in shock at his brother's words. "How can you-"

"Wait, look." Tigerpaw suddenly crouched, squinting his eyes at something in the distance. A smile slowly slid across his face, tail flicking in excitement. Stormpaw watched him with wide amber eyes, mentally cuffing himself for not realizing it before. This was more than just duty to his brother. It wasn't just about the mission and making their father proud. He _enjoyed _this.

Suddenly he was afraid.

"Look, Stormpaw. I see the patrol. Can you see them? Look!"

Stormpaw turned his head to look in the direction of his brother's gestures, but his neck felt stiff and his limbs seemed like they'd been frozen in place. He vaguely recognized the dark shapes off in the distance, weaving through the trees and within the undergrowth towards them. The patrol.

The foxes were still circling beneath them, every once in a while leaping to claw a tail-length or two up the tree, only to slide back down. Stormpaw couldn't help but stare at their slavering jaws and the wild, hungry light in their black eyes. The patrol was no match for them.

Tigerpaw scoffed beside him, his icy blue eyes watching the shapes move closer toward them. "Are they seriously going to try to fight them? They'll be ripped to shreds."

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Stormpaw muttered bitterly. Tigerpaw looked at him, giving him a "what's-up-with-you?" look.

Suddenly there was a loud yowl from below, and the two brothers' heads snapped to the noise. Three cats darted from the undergrowth, hissing and spitting, claws lashing out to slice at the foxes' ankles. Stormpaw recognized one of the shapes as his adoptive father, Ashwhisker.

The foxes snarled, spinning away from the tree to snap at the three cats, but they had already dashed away, running north with their tails streaming behind them. The foxes quickly followed suit, completely forgetting about the two young toms up in the tree, distracted by easier prey. Stormpaw gaped after them.

"Hey!" someone hissed from below. Stormpaw started, surprised, then peered down over the branch at the forest floor. Yellow eyes met his amber ones.

"Reedwhisker!"

The black tom stood at the base of the tree, head tilted back to look up at them. Beside him, Lilyfrost and Icestorm stood watching the foxes as they chased after the other three cats, which he now realized were decoys, making sure they weren't coming back.

And standing behind him, Sunstar.

"Foxdung…" Tigerpaw grumbled.

"Come down! Quickly!" the massive ginger tom meowed up at them. "The foxes may still come back!"

Stormpaw felt a wave of relief wash over him. Yes, the plan had failed, but at least no other cats would get hurt. They could figure out another way to tell how many lives Sunstar had left in him, but for now the rest of the SeaClan cats were safe. No one else would get hurt because of their poorly though-out "plan". He just had to get down…

But when he moved towards the trunk of the tree, he found that Tigerpaw was standing in his way. Stormpaw looked up, about to tell him to hurry up and move, but the words caught in his throat. There was a strange light in Tigerpaw's eyes, and Stormpaw felt his whole body freeze, ice creeping into his veins. He opened his mouth to scream.

"Sorry," Tigerpaw muttered, and pushed him.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14 should be out by the end of the week. I have much more free time now so updates should be faster. Pleeeeeeaaasse review it, critique it, and feel free to rant at me for being gone so long. :P<strong>

**Again, I IS SOOOO SORRY!**


	18. Drown

**Yay, new chappie! For some reason I like this one, though I can't place why…Oh well! Okay so first of all, thanks for the reviews everybody! They make me wanna keep writing and adding new chappies *hint hint to you lurkers. I know you're out there!* And to PurpleVNeck, yes I do believe a lot of the cats in this story have blue eyes…Hmmm. Maybe I have some strange subconscious obsession with blue eyes. I never noticed that before. :))**

**Okay, well, I guess you all should probably get to reading. :)**

**Hope you like!**

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER 14<strong>

**~Drown~**

"Am I dead?"

Duskkit shook his fluffy head vigorously. "Nuh-uh. I jus' wanted to talk."

Stormpaw stood shakily, his paws trembling and his heart pounding in his chest. The familiar grassy meadow of StarClan stretched out around him, the distant treeline obscured by fog, with the little gray furball that was Duskkit sitting before him, staring up at him with big blue eyes. The stars sparkled faintly above him, so close he felt he could reach out and touch them.

"This isn't exactly the best time, Duskkit," he meowed, and his voice wavered. He felt cold.

"You're unconscious anyway," the little tom mewed back with a shrug. "_I _thought it was a good time."

Stormpaw's hackles raised, the fur along the back of his spine prickling.

"My brother just tried to kill me!" Stormpaw suddenly shouted, causing Duskkit's ears to flick back. "This is the _worst _possible time!"

He felt anger bubbling up inside him. Anger and fear, and confusion. How could this have happened? How could Tigerpaw do this to him? They were _brothers_, for StarClan's sake! They'd been through everything together! Was he throwing all that away for the sake of some mouse-brained mission? _How could he?_

Duskkit watched him as he began to pace, his fuzzy head cocked slightly to the side. He didn't say a word.

Finally, Stormpaw sat down heavily on the grass. He sighed, tilting his head upward to look at the stars. Those weren't his ancestors up there, but he was sure they watched him, too. He was, after all, a spy in their Clan. He wondered why they brought him here so often. Why didn't they use their "divine powers" to drive him and his brother out of SeaClan, instead of letting all of this go on for so long? Didn't they care?

He looked down at Duskkit, who blinked up at him.

"Duskkit, what am I doing here?" he asked quietly, though he knew he wouldn't get an answer. "What's the point of bringing me here? I know you're not doing it alone. So please…just tell me why I'm here."

As expected, Duskkit said nothing. He stared up at him, head still slightly cocked, his face the picture of innocence. He wasn't going to tell him anything.

But then he felt something brush against him from behind. Stormpaw froze as someone breathed against the back of his ear. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see stars.

And then a whisper, soft and female, yet inexplicably loud.

"_All in due time."_

* * *

><p>A dull thud met Stormpaw's ears, followed by a sound like a tree branch first he felt nothing. Where was he…?<p>

And then the pain hit him.

He sucked in a breath as fire exploded in his foreleg, searing flames shooting through his body. White hot agony pounded his head, his back, his chest as the air left his lungs in one swift exhale that left him gasping. He felt warm blood in his mouth. Stars swirled in his vision, and he knew that they were not his ancestors.

An ear-splitting sound met his ears, piercing and filled with agony. Someone was screaming.

"_Stormpaw!"_

"…_GetupGetupGetup!"_

"_The foxes are coming back!"_

Teeth closed around his scruff, tugging his limp body across dry leaves and rocks. The movement sent more flames shooting through him, and he dully realized that he was the one screaming.

"_Stormpaw! Get up! We have to move!"_

He heard a familiar voice close by, someone shouting something, and he forced his lids to open slightly. He saw bright blue eyes through a haze of pain, framed by soft white fur. Recognition slammed into his muddled brain, quickly followed by a rush of fear. _Skypaw_? What was she doing here? There was danger here…but he couldn't remember what exactly that danger was…

Skypaw's eyes flashed with relief as she saw his eyes briefly open. "Stormpaw! Come on Stormpaw _please _get up! Come on,_ please_! We have to get out of here!"

"Urrgh…" he wheezed. The pain had dulled in his body, reduced to sharp throbbing in his head and back. But as he moved his foreleg in an attempt to stand, a stab of agony shot up his paw and through his shoulder, spreading like lightning through the rest of his battered body. He let out a gasp, unable to scream, and his leg slid back out onto the grass. Skypaw nudged him, rather roughly, trying to coax him back onto his feet. She was saying something, her tone rushed and fearful, but a different sound drowned out her soft voice.

At first, it sounded like a Twoleg monster, barreling down the Thunderpath on the southern border of SeaClan. One of the big ones, the ones that spat foul-smelling smoke from its glistening horns and towered over all the other monsters like a badger to a kit. But as his ears focused on the noise he realized that it wasn't a monster. It was the snarling of at least five very big, very angry foxes.

And with it, the yowling of cats, screeching, claws tearing through flesh. Battle.

His memories of the last few moments came rushing back.

Icy blue eyes suddenly flashed through his mind, tumbling through open air, trapped inside a tunnel of green leaves and rough brown bark. Screaming down to the forest floor, and the foxes had come running. They'd heard him scream.

Stormpaw gasped, but from a different sort of pain.

_Tigerpaw! He pushed me! _his mind cried. His brother had pushed him; watched him fall.

"_Stormpaw! Get up!" _He felt teeth close around his scruff again, his body being dragged agonizingly slow across the rough ground. Thoughts of his brother were replaced by howls of pain.

And then Skypaw stopped. He felt her teeth tear away from him. There was a shout, and then sharp pain as more teeth closed around the skin on his neck. Someone else's teeth, and Stormpaw's eyes snapped open in terror as he realized that maybe the foxes had gotten him, and Skypaw, too.

He saw a flash of dark tabby fur, and then icy blue.

Tigerpaw.

Stormpaw struggled feebly, but then his brother's fangs tightened around his scruff, warning him.

"_Don't move."_

He felt the rough ground disappear beneath him to be replaced by soft fur on his belly. He was being hoisted up onto Tigerpaw's back, his head hanging off his brother's shoulder and his legs dangling on either side of his flank. He caught sight of something strange out of the corner of his eye as Tigerpaw began to run through the forest. White and crimson red, and something that looked like mangled meat. He blinked, his eyes focusing for a split second, and he realized with a jolt of horror that he was looking at his own foreleg. The bone was protruding from his skin, glistening red, his leg bouncing around in time with Tigerpaw's long strides.

Stormpaw stared for a moment, then promptly opened his mouth and vomited over his brother's shoulder.

And then, his head spinning, he spiraled into darkness…

* * *

><p><em>Stormkit waded slolwy into the stream, inhaling sharply as the freezing water surged over his paws and between his legs, soaking him through to the bone. He held his breath, the icy water stabbing sharp needles into his flesh, standing stone-still, tense, in the middle of the stream as the current pulled at his legs. He immediately began to tremble, exhaling shakily in a puff of white steam from his mouth.<em>

_The sound of splashing met his ears, and he stiffly turned his neck to watch as Tigerkit waded toward him, completely drenched from head to toe, grinning like an idiot._

"_What's the matter, Stormkit?" he teased, flicking a few droplets of water at him with his tail. "Afraid to get a little wet?"_

"_It's c-c-cold!" Stormkit mewed, his teeth chattering. Tigerkit rolled his eyes._

"_You know, it's not so bad after you go underwater. You get used to it then."_

_Stormkit looked down at the water sliding around him, black with cold. His toes felt numb, and he wiggled them just to be sure they were still there. He swallowed, then slowly began to lower himself further into the stream. But as soon as the frigid water touched his chest, he straightened back up again, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking his head back and forth._

"_I c-can't!"_

_Tigerkit sighed, then waded closer. Stormkit kept his eyes squeezed tightly shut, listening. He heard a loud splash, and then suddenly he felt a wave of icy water hit his side, nearly knocking him off his feet. He shrieked, his eyes snapping open to see Tigerkit crouched in the stream right beside him, watching him like an alligator keeping an eye on possible prey._

"_What d-did you do th-that for?" Stormkit demanded, and his brother stood._

"_Well, you have to go under sometime. Father said we have to wash our FogClan scent completely off of us before we go further into SeaClan territory, or else they'll recognize us. Come on, Stormkit. Don't be such a wuss."_

_The little gray tom looked down at the stream again, then back up at his brother, amber eyes wide._

"_What if the current pulls me away?" he questioned, his voice shaky._

_Tigerkit gave him a withering look. "It won't."_

"_You promise?" he mewed, earnest._

_Stormkit stared at the larger kit, watching as his blue eyes suddenly softened in that rarely seen look of brotherly affection. Tigerkit smiled, but it wasn't taunting or mischievous. He flicked Stormkit's flank with his tail, reassuring._

"_I promise. I'm not gonna let it pull you away. You're gonna stay right here with me, and then we're gonna do what we were born to do." He winked at him, looking a little like his normal self again. "Together." _

_Stormkit felt warmth spread through him at Tigerkit's words. His brother wasn't usually so sentimental, and he relished the rare sincerity in the dark tabby's voice. They were brothers. Partners in crime. Together 'till the end, no matter what…_

_Filled with a newfound courage, Stormkit looked down at the black water churning around his paws. It didn't seem so scary anymore._

_So, with a deep breath and his brother by his side, he plunged headfirst into the stream._

* * *

><p>Stormpaw could feel the freezing water rushing over him, battering him against rocks and logs, pulling him further and further away. He could see Tigerpaw watching, indifferent, his icy blue eyes as cold as the water that dragged him down down down into its murky depths. His brother had let him go. He was drowning…dying…<p>

His eyes snapped open.

Bright, early morning light filtered in from behind Stormpaw, casting a golden glow on the stone floor around him. He turned his head slightly to the side, his neck feeling like it was going to snap off with the stiffness in his spine. His eyes focused groggily on a stack of herbs pushed up against one side of the den, and he barely registered the leafy scent of the cave he was in. He was in the Medicine Den, but where was Willowsong?

Stormpaw smacked his jaws, running his swollen tongue over the roof of his mouth. He was so thirsty…

"Here," a quiet voice mewed from nearby. Suddenly a wad of moss was pushed in front of his mouth, glistening with little crystalline droplets of water. He eagerly bit down on it, sucking it dry. When he was done, he looked up to see dark amber eyes staring down at him.

"Rosepaw…" Stormpaw rasped, licking the leftover water droplets from his lips. "Thank you…"

Rosepaw only gave a barely visible nod, biting her lip. She didn't say anything, of course.

"Where's…" Stormpaw moved his foreleg to try to sit up, but found he couldn't move it. Puzzled, he stretched his neck to look beside him, blinking uncomprehendingly at what he saw.

His right foreleg was splayed out at an awkward angle, his paw facing upward toward the roof of the cave. He couldn't even see the fur on his leg through the long green stems that were wound tightly around it. Two sturdy-looking sticks sandwiched his leg between them, bound there by the stems. It looked like some sort of splint.

He suddenly remembered the last time he's seen his leg, when it was a mangled piece of meat and bone, and felt bile rise in his throat. He quickly forced it down, turning his head away.

"We're not sure if you'll be able to walk on it again…" Rosepaw mewed quietly, looking down at the ground between her paws. "It was broken pretty bad. Willowsong tried to her best to fix it but…"

"Only time will tell," Willowsong meowed as she padded into the den, her long tail fanning out behind her. She bent beside Stormpaw, sniffing along his back and over his wounded leg. When she straightened up to look him in the eye, her green ones were sympathetic. "I'm afraid I don't have much experience with broken bones, so I don't know what the healing process will be like. I was able to set the bone back in place, but there's no way to tell whether it will heal fully or not. All I can say is that you cannot walk on it for a while, and you'll be spending your nights here instead of the apprentice's den. Other than your leg, you seem to be fine." She smiled, a half-hearted attempt to make him feel better. "You're a very lucky cat, Stormpaw."

_I don't feel so lucky…_he thought, his eyes downcast. Willowsong watched him a moment longer, her smile slowly fading, then excited the den. A moment later, Rosepaw followed.

Stormpaw felt more alone than he ever had before.

* * *

><p><em>Sometimes I feel like I'm still falling from that tree, spiraling down, unable to stop myself from reaching the inevitable, never knowing when I'd finally hit the bottom. Sometimes the feeling gets so bad, so overwhelming, that I wish I'd just finally land somewhere, anywhere, just so I wouldn't have to hurt anymore. So I could finally be at peace…<em>

_But I've yet to reach that point. I'm still falling. Perhaps I always will…_

* * *

><p><strong>You like, yes? Review, yes? Review es magnifico! Review es amor!<strong>

**Sorry, I speak in Spanish sometimes. It makes me happy. :)**

**But not as much as reviews do! So tell me if you like, or if you'd rather Tigerpaw fell from a tree and may never walk again!**

**Adios 'till next week! ;)**


End file.
